Kendall Taggart, The Center for Investigative Reporting
IRE 2014 San Francisco
An annotated Form 990 with red flags is available here.
# 1
How much revenue is "non-cash"?
For Cancer Fund of America,only $5.5 million of $26.6 million in contributions
was cash
#2
How much is spent on the mission?
From the 990:
(Part IX, Line 25, Column B)
(Part IX, Line 25, Column A)
Program Expenses
Total Expenses
the amount spent on programs was
78 %
IMPRESSIVE !!!
But remember those ""Non-Cash"" Contributions?
Check out Schedule I to find out how much CASH goes to the cause
At Cancer Fund of America?
Cash to cancer patients?
# 3
"Joint cost' allocation
Part IX, Line 26
See if the charity claims it's doing good while raising money
At Kids wish network
Nearly half of the $8 million it claimed to spend on programs was spent on programs delivered by while also trying to collect money.
"Do you know any dying kids?"
"Do you know any dying kids?"
#4
HOW MUCh IS SPENT ON salaries?
From the 990: Part I, line 15
Is that all they're getting?
Check out Part VII for executive pay
Then Schedule L for "related transactions" - loans, money from insider deals
Kids Wish Network paid its president $130,000
and his marketing firm $1.7 million
#5
Professional fundraising fees
From the 990: Part I, line 16a
Find out how much the fundraiser is keeping on Schedule G
oVER A DECADE,
sOLICITORS for Kids Wish nETWORK
kept 86 PERCENT OF THE MONEY RAISED.
aT cANCER fUND OF aMERICA
THEY KEPT 82 PERCENT.
BONUS TIP-OFF to trouble
Check the top left-hand corner of the 990's front page.
If it's been "amended"
see Schedule O for reasons why.
Other charity resources
- Citizenaudit.org
-
State
charity regulators websites (NC, NY, CA, CO and soon FL!)
- Charity checker: (http://www.tampabay.com/charitychecker/)
- Database of disciplinary actions: (http://charitysearch.apps.cironline.org/)
-
State consumer complaint databases
Questions?
ktaggart@cironline.org