Chapin hired his long-time friend and direct mail expert, Richard Viguerie, to conduct fundraising campaigns for HHV, paying Viguerie's company $14 million between 2000 and 2005. "I got burned a couple of years ago when I found out another charity I was contributing to was not a real charity, so I thought I should probably check this one out," Beckman said. Aramony was convicted on 25 felony counts and sentenced to seven years in prison for fraudulently diverting $1.2 million of the charity's money to benefit himself and his friends. United Police Officers Fund While this theft from HAI is unfortunate, because of the frequency of similarly sized thefts from nonprofits, it alone would not merit membership in the CharityWatch Hall of Shame. We check the charity's last two Forms 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets. But other charities lie about what they do with donations or how much they spend on programs. While it is reprehensible for anyone to steal from a charity, it is even more horrendous to permanently disfigure the individual brought in to uncover the wrong doing. Unfortunately, the portion of the $380,000 that actually will be used for childhood leukemia programs is a mere drop in the bucket compared to the millions of dollars raised under false pretenses by NCLF at Shors direction. When that failed and he was fired, Jones responded with a wrongful termination suit. Just like CFA, the four spin-off charities, Cancer Support Services (CSS), Childrens Cancer Fund of America (CCFOA), The Breast Cancer Society (BCS) and American Association for Cancer Support (AAFCS), receive F ratings from CharityWatch. Mullaney, who earned an annual base salary of $475,000, failed to report a total of $700,000 of bonus compensation to the IRS in WonderWorks annual 2012 through 2015 tax filings. Privacy policies are assigned to one of the following categories: Yes: This charity has a written donor privacy policy published on its website, which states unambiguously that (1) it will not share or sell a donor's personal information with anyone else, nor send donor mailings on behalf of other organizations or (2) it will only share or sell personal information once the donor has given the charity specific permission to do so. Dyer eventually would introduce Williams to the new CFO she planned to hire to correct the imbalances in HAIs finances, touting his expertise in fraud detection. Before the scandal broke, Aramony was widely respected as one of the most influential nonprofit leaders of his time. The Arc in Hawaii, like all of the local-based affiliated chapters of The Arc, operates independently and does its own separate financial reporting. Volunteers are a vital part of how charities work and achieve their goals and there's a continuing decline in the numbers of volunteers at charities. CFA and CSS allegedly were responsible for more than $75 million of the claimed amount. Greg Mortenson, founder of the Central Asia Institute (CAI) and author of New York Times best selling books Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools, was the darling of philanthropic and literary communities until CharityWatch began investigating his charity in 2009. Mams emotionally driven campaign to end sex trafficking is certainly an important and serious issue, but according to sex trafficking experts, the problem is misunderstood due in part to exaggerated and grisly stories, such as those told by Mam and her group. Add your comments! Helping charities build trust. Bennett was able to cover his tracks for so long by giving false information to both regulators and investors. By 2015, it is reported that Kim Williams was effectively running the fiscal operations of HAI after the former chief financial officer (CFO) had been removed and not replaced. By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive calls and SMS/MMS msgs, including autodialed and automated calls and texts using prerecorded voice, to that number from United Police Fund. CAI's co-founder and executive director, Greg Mortenson, is a New York Times best selling author two times over and Central Asia Institute (CAI) is one charity that for many donors and avid readers alike requires no introduction. However, the disturbing claims in the May 2015 federal action against four of the Reynolds family charities, CFA, CSS, CCFOA and BCS, Reynolds, Junior, and Reynolds ex-wife, Rose Perkins (Perkins), have cinched Reynolds and his family a spot in the CharityWatch Hall of Shame. (Less). "So I really want to support the police for what they do.". UNITED POLICE FUND was formed in 2018 as a political nonprofit organization designated under of IRS tax code section 527. They have committed their lives to protecting others, regardless of the risks. Although Ritter denied these allegations, he stepped down amidst the scandal. UPF made over 600,000 Voter Outreach Contacts in St. Louis in April 2021, https://unitedpolicefund.org/terms-of-service/. National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund cannot currently be evaluated by our Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization. The 20 Worst Charities To Donate To - Money Inc Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website. The UNITED POLICE FUND is an advocate on the National level for America's Law Enforcement. To tell the story of American law enforcement, honor the fallen, and make it safer for those who serve. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting, Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website, Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website. The liquidation of the assets of CCFOA and BCS, respectively, will be used to partially satisfy the monetary judgments; the judgment against Perkins will be suspended based upon her inability to pay, and Juniors will be suspended after he pays $75,000. Learn more about our criteria and methodology. In September 2011, the Wingos shut their charity down. This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver. They should be prepared by an independent accountant with oversight from an audit committee. Dividing a charity's average administrative expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. For a charity to receive BBB accreditation, it must meet 20 Standards of Accountability covering everything from governance to fundraising. The James Reynolds, Sr. (Reynolds) web of shameful charities began almost 30 years ago when he started the Cancer Fund of America (CFA) in 1987 after being forced out of his job at the Knoxville County, Tennessee chapter of the American Cancer Society (ACS). Congress' investigation confirmed CharityWatch's previous findings that only about 25% of the $168 million raised between 2004 and 2006 by Chapin's veterans charities, Help Hospitalized Veterans (HHV) and Coalition to Salute America's Heroes (CSAH), went to veterans. The resulting report cited 15 cases of reported sexual contacts between Ritter and people sheltered or working at CH. By Angie Ward. Our mission is to enhance the quality of education by providing financial assistance to deserving students, raising operating funds for member colleges and universities, and increasing access to technology for students and faculty at historically black colleges and universities. The March 2016 settlementconcludes the largest joint enforcement action ever undertaken by the FTC and state charity regulators. The caliber of those associated with New Era helped attract others. Internal feuding between Mullaney and SmileTrains other co-founder, Charles Wang, resulted in Mullaneys termination as SmileTrains CEO in 2010, according to the Final Report of Examiner, as filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in November of 2017. In an interview with Reuters, CharityWatch President Daniel Borochoff said "No one has ever made a bigger mockery of veterans, politicians and charity as Bobby Thompson did with his U.S. Navy Veterans Association.". $128,399,311 program costs + $8,461,320 partner costs + $8,461,320 beneficiary costs = $145,321,951 total costs. In 2006 HHV and CSAH each counted the same donated "phone cards," valued by the charities at $18.7 million, as a contribution and program expense in their financial statements. Combined with $2 million in donated public service airtime, the cards accounted for 85% of CSAH's reported programs expense in 2006. By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive calls and SMS/MMS msgs, including autodialed and automated calls and texts using prerecorded voice, to that number from United Police Fund. Recently I received a call from a number I didn't recognize from the . Roger Chapin passed away in August of 2013 just as he and other directors of HHV had reached a settlement with the California Attorney General's office requiring them to resign from the charity and to pay a collective $2.5 million in restitution. Leaving politics aside for a minute, how do you know if those calls are legitimate? Joe and Andy must forfeit about $1.5 million and $2.4 million, respectively, and Joe must pay a $15,000 fine. As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Officials with Floridas Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services raided PPFs call centers on September 17, 2013 and arrested four managers in charge of the operations after determining several felons had been hired as telemarketers. The final straw was Jones' 2009 admission that he had authorized the wiretapping of FTC's offices in order to secretly record his conversations with his employees. Of that amount, about $26.5 million, or 83%, went to Zeitlin's companies, according to CFPI. CH then launched its own investigation into the priest. For decades, HH provided help for children touched by poverty, drug abuse, and AIDS. He attempted to install a new board who would be loyal to him. In reality, New Era was nothing more than a Ponzi scheme that, at the time of its collapse, was considered the biggest financial scandal in the history of American charities. Cart ID: Not Assigned, Copyright 2023 | EIN 13-4148824 | Bridge ID 3108588923. Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2021, Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Form 990 Series Downloads. Chapin was highly skilled at painting his charities in a favorable light for potential donors, often using celebrities to promote his nonprofit endeavors, or employing accounting tricks to inflate his charities' financial efficiency. See the metrics below for more information. These cards could not be used by soldiers overseas to call home, but rather to listen to sports scores and hear advertisements. It also has a Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. Not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee. NCLF also heavily promoted a Make A Dream Come True program for terminally ill children that did little more over the past several years than pay for one laptop computer and one trip to Disney World. Additionally, the four Reynolds family charities are accused of using an extensive scheme involving shipping GIK [gifts in-kind (or non-cash)] goods internationally to mask unfavorably high administrative and fundraising costs. In this situation, we deduct 7 points from the charity's Accountability and Transparency score. These bogus filings misrepresented NCLF as being overseen by a 13- to 16-member board of directors plus a separate medical advisory board. The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform subpoenaed Chapin in 2007 when he refused to voluntarily testify at its hearing on rampant financial inefficiency at many of the nation's veterans charities. In fact, these Reynolds family charities perform so poorly with regards to financial efficiency that CFA, consolidated with its affiliate CSS, has the best of the F grades with a 13% program services percentage and $80 cost to raise each $100 (based on CharityWatchs most recent ratings for each CFA & CSS (rated together), CCFOA, BCS, and AAFCS, respectively). ), Amorin, 71 years-old at the time of her sentencing, was a Senior Accountant at The Arc in Hawaii (ARC) and had worked at the charity for more than 30 years before being accused of the misappropriation. Together, we can accomplish more by shaping public policy . No: This charity either does not have a written donor privacy policy in place to protect their contributors' personal information, or the existing policy does not meet our criteria. We estimate the increase in income caused by a nonprofit's scholarship program in two steps. UNCF cannot currently be evaluated by our Leadership & Adaptability methodology because we have not received data from the charity regarding its leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes.Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization. In 2020 homicides jumped 21% and aggravated assaults rose 8.3% as elected officials ordered police to stand down. InNew York City, arrests plummeted 55% over the summer while murder increased 45%. Full Credit: The charity's audited financials were prepared by an independent accountant with an audit oversight committee. "But I'm sure there are a lot that are not on the level, so you kind of have to be cautious," she said. In October 2010, an Ohio grand jury indicted Thompson and Blanca Contreras-a former citrus processing plant employee who had signed USNVA registration papers in several states claiming to hold executive positions at the group. Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s). Central Asia Institute (CAI) is one charity that for many donors and avid readers alike requires no introduction. To be added to our Do Not Call List please call 800-215-1579, **Our records are referenced by phone numbers.Email UPF [email protected] (Best)Backup Email: [email protected]. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, PODCAST: High School Insider with Mike Dyer. The lawsuit reportedly sought $750,000 from the board and their removal, claiming they were negligent and failed to prevent the thefts. Copyright United Police Fund. If you receive a solicitation in the mail from any charity that makes the above promise, you would be wise to be skeptical. The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). The UNITED POLICE FUND is a national advocate for America's Law Enforcement. This multi-million dol Angel Food Ministries (AFM), a Georgia-based nonprofit that provided discounted food to families in need across the U.S., has shut its doors. An important distinction that Mam has consistently ignored is that prostitution and sex trafficking are not the same thing and require different responses. Mari leads the Fund's efforts to create communities of . Full Credit: The charity's audited financials were prepared by an independent accountant with an audit oversight committee. Simply enter the organization's name (UNCF) or EIN (131624241) in the 'Search Term' field. Freedom from Religion Foundation. In CharityWatchs opinion, anyone who is as brazen and immoral as to forge more than 600 checks over a period of almost 20 years in order to steal nearly $7 million from her nonprofit employer is deserving of a spot in our Hall of Shame. For more on the USNVA scandal, read Phantom Charity Takes Flight: Leaves Veterans Stranded. loading and try your donation again. Despite the numerous scandals that took place under Jones' leadership, he remained at the charity for nearly three decades before FTC's board finally took action. That same year, Hale and DeVore pled guilty to stealing Hale House funds and falsifying business records. UNCF helps promising students attend college and graduate by providing operating funds for its 39 member colleges, administering 400 scholarship and internship programs, and serving as a national advocate for the importance of minority higher education by representing the public policy interests of its students and member colleges. Often at smaller charities, it falls within the responsibilities of the finance committee or the executive committee.) Only as of its 2017 fiscal year has FTCstarted to improve upon its prior "F" and"D" ratings from CharityWatch. All but one of the PACs, National. The brave men and women of law enforcement 59 of whom werekilled feloniouslyon duty in 2020 selflessly protect and serve. Many legitimate charities support local firefighters and police, active duty military, and veterans, or their families. The Police Officers Defense Alliance, for example, raised $3.2 million in 2020, and The American Police Officers Alliance raised $4.3 million. Privacy policies are assigned to one of the following categories: Yes: This charity has a written donor privacy policy published on its website, which states unambiguously that (1) it will not share or sell a donor's personal information with anyone else, nor send donor mailings on behalf of other organizations or (2) it will only share or sell personal information once the donor has given the charity specific permission to do so. Why Aren't Donated Clothes Always Given Away for Free? Unable to repay them Bennett was forced to place New Era into bankruptcy and admit that his anonymous donors never existed. The HAI staff, however, began noticing an increase in financial irregularities, including bounced checks, declined credit cards, and debt that had ballooned even though cost cutting measures were being employed. Established Date. 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Under the settlement orders, CFA and CSS will be permanently dissolved, and Reynolds is permanently banned from managing, operating, fundraising, or otherwise working for a nonprofit organization.