It seems like every October, there are more pink items for sale to promote National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which has led to growing concern that the focus is on selling merchandise without being clear about how much money is actually going to cancer research. In an effort to keep these charities honest, the Attorney General for New York state has issued a set of best practices. [More]
charities
NY Attorney General Calls On Breast Cancer Charities To Be Transparent About Where The Money Is Going
By 10.18.12
FTC Warns Against Scammers Trying To Cash In On Aurora Theater Shooting
By 7.27.12
It’s been a week since a dozen people were killed and 58 others were injured at a late-night showing of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Co., and folks from around the world have been looking to donate money to help those affected by the tragedy. But before you hand over any cash, be sure it’s a legitimate charity. [More]
How Giving To Charity Can Be Like Getting Your Name And Number Scrawled On A Bathroom Wall
By 3.19.12
Gifts to many charities can backfire, placing you on hit lists for other organizations that share information about their networks of benefactors. A donation can place you in the crosshairs of other companies in need of donations, bombarding you with cold calls and mailings and making you feel like the object of one of those “for a good time, call XXX” messages etched on bathroom stalls. [More]
Check Up On Charities Before Donating
By 11.17.11
Nonprofits rely on the spirit of giving, as well as imminent tax write-offs, to fill their coffers during the holiday season. Both worthy and less-than-reputable organizations step up their donation drives, and it can be tough to separate efficient charities from scams. [More]
It Seems Catholic Charity Events And Hooters Don't Mix
By 6.16.11
Scantily-clad waitresses and Catholic fundraisers for the homeless seem like a perfect match on paper, right? No? Well, those who didn’t think Hooters should host a Catholic St. Louis charity event complained about the concept and convinced planners to cancel it. [More]
Despite Raising $18 Million, Madonna's Malawi Charity Implodes With School Unbuilt
By 4.4.11
Madonna’s planned academy for girls in the African country of Malawi has been abandoned, despite the foundation behind it, “Raising Malawi,” raising a reported $18 million in donations since 2006 and spending $3.8 million on the school itself. Newsweek combed through the numbers and is asking why only $850,000 of that was paid out in Malawi and nearly $3 million was spent by the L.A. office of Kabbalah Centre International, one of the project’s partners. [More]
Red Cross Sits On $1 Billion Collected For Japan Disaster Victims
By 4.4.11
For those who have cut the Red Cross checks to aid victims of the earthquake in Japan, that warm assurance that they’ve done something to help out may be premature. [More]
Haiti-Helping Nonprofits Sitting On Funds
By 1.12.11
If you cut a check to a Haiti aid group after last year’s earthquake disaster, surely you did so with lofty visions that your money would sit in a bank account, doing absolutely nothing for months on end. [More]
Would You Like To Donate To The Party City Injured Employee Fund?
By 9.7.10
Do you find it annoying when a cashier tries to upsell you into making a donation to some group? Well, what if the money was going to a good cause–like another employee at the store? [More]
Nashville Is Flooded! Here's How You Can Help
By 5.4.10
The waters of the Cumberland River burst all over Tennessee this Sunday, submerging Nashville and leaving much of the state underwater. At least 29 are dead and thousands have been evacuated. If you want to pitch in, Nashvillist has rustled up a slew of shelters and donation-takers who would be glad to have your aid or volunteer hours. Pitch in! It feels good. [More]
KFC "Pink Buckets" Not Best Way To Fight Breast Cancer
By 4.25.10
KFC is urging customers to buy “pink buckets” to help fight breast cancer. However, you could buy a dozen KFC buckets and it wouldn’t put an extra dime towards breast cancer research, reports The Washington Post. The fine print on KFC’s “buckets for the cure” website speaks for itself: [More]
Want To Help With Chile Earthquake Relief? Here Are Some Ideas
By 2.28.10
Are you looking for ways to help out the groups providing relief after the massive earthquake that hit Chile? Yahoo has made a nice list of groups that have confirmed that they are sending teams to Chile, and you can also donate by text message. [More]
Waldenbooks Employees Protest Orders To Destroy Unsold Books
By 1.25.10
If you’ve ever worked in a bookstore, you’re probably intimate with the practice of pulping mass market paperbacks. Publishers reimburse booksellers for inventory they don’t sell, but paperbacks are so cheap to produce that it would cost more to return them than to throw them away. Instead, stores tear off the covers, mail those back as proof of unsold inventory, and throw the books in the trash. [More]
Update: All Four Major Carriers Now Waiving Fees For Haiti SMS Donations
By 1.14.10
Update 2: Sprint has also announced that it is waiving fees, retroactive to Wednesday. (Thanks to changebumpin!)
Update: MSNBC has updated their article, and they say that AT&T has announced it will waive fees for donations, and apply the exemption retroactively to those who have already donated. (Thanks to Mathew for the heads up.) [More]
NYC Police Dept Stops Giving Counterfeit Clothing To Charity
By 1.13.10
It turns out H&M and Walmart aren’t the only two organizations caught destroying clothes they couldn’t sell. Yesterday the New York Times reported that the NYC Police Department has also been destroying clothing that would otherwise be wearable. The big difference this time is that the clothing is counterfeit. [More]
Care4Less Makes Giving Fake Donations Easy
By 12.15.09
There’s no better way to save on presents this holiday season than to pretend to give money in people’s names to fake charities. Care4Less.org simplifies this process by putting together eight, worthy, fictitious causes for you to choose from, like the Make-A-Sandwich Foundation, and Fathers4Mosquitos.
care4less.org (Thanks to jpropaganda!)
Google Offering Temporary Free WiFi Access At 47 Airports
By 11.10.09
From now until January 15th, 2010, Google will offer free WiFi access at 47 airports around the country. As part of the promotion, they’ll be collecting donations through Google Checkout for three non-profit organizations and will provide matching funds up to $250,000. But whether you donate or not, there’s a much better chance now that you’ll be able to go online while waiting for your flight. Imagine all the airline tips you can send to us!
Save The Polar Bear Sweaters Are Nice, But Do The Bears Really Get The Cash?
By 11.6.09
So you’re shopping and have a choice between Sweater A, and Sweater B, the one that saves polar bears. This so-called “embedded giving” where you buy something and part of the money goes towards a charity has become quite popular, especially during the holiday season, but did you ever stop to think if the polar bears are really getting the money?
