The Federal Trade Commission and 58 law enforcement groups from every state have charged 4 sham cancer charities with bilking more than $187 million from consumers. The charities spent about 97% of donations they received either on private fundraisers or on themselves. Only 3%, she says, went to help actual cancer patients.
At Irving Cares, 83 cents of every dollar goes to help those in need. You can donate with confidence. We have a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, an independent American nonprofit that evaluates charities.
What can you do make sure your donation doesn’t go a fraudulent charity?
Charity Navigator has these suggestions:
- Hang up the phone! Reynolds Sr. and his family were able to raise so much money in part by working with for-profit telemarketing firms. Those companies siphon off most of what you donate and only pass along small percentage of your gift to the charity.
- Be proactive. Don’t wait for a charity to ask you for support. Instead flip the table and identify which causes you are most passionate about.
- Do your homework. Take the time to research the charity’s finances, governance practices and results. You’ll find much of this analysis, for free, at Charity Navigator.
- Make a long-term commitment. Once you’ve done your research, give generously and over the long haul. A great way to do that is by setting up a monthly donation to your favorite charity.
See the Irving Cares Charity Navigator Profile. You can read more information about the fraudulent charities in this article from The New York Times.