ConsumerWatch: What To Look For In A Charity
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) – As the end of the year approaches, you may receive mailers and phone calls asking for charitable donations. But there are some red flags to look for before writing that check.
CBS 5 viewer Michael Volberding said he receives postcards from charities every four to six weeks.
On the surface the ads might seem legitimate. But watch out for charities that just have a post office box or have a disclaimer saying they are not associated with a well-known charity.
A major red flag is when a website for a nonprofit cannot be found and doesn't appear on charity evaluation websites such as Charity Navigator.
One of those charities is the United Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Records for the foundation could not be found on the web, but only though the Attorney General's office.
The records revealed that the foundation earned $10,000 last year, but there was documentation the foundation donated any of it.
Bennett Wiener of the Better Business Bureau said one should avoid donating unless the charity discloses how much they donate.
Robert Brenneman from San Francisco's Project Open Hand agrees and urges people looking to donate to do their homework and not waste their money on questionable charities.
The United Breast Cancer Research Foundation could not provide CBS 5 ConsumerWatch with copies of its financials, but claimed it gave 100 percent of its proceeds to charity. It is not affiliated with the well-known Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
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