Charity Navigator

Dear Liz: I want to dispose of my older car but don't want to face the hassle and intrusion of selling it. I'm having trouble finding a reputable car donation organization in my area. I checked with a charity watchdog site but it didn't have information on specific charities to use. Can you recommend an organization that operates efficiently and actually gives a substantial amount of the car proceeds to charity? Answer: Start paying attention to which charities heavily advertise their car donation programs on commercial radio and TV stations — and strongly consider avoiding them.

Dear Kim, Mazel tov on the wedding, Kim, and so sorry to hear about the divorce. It's such a drag when these things don't work out, especially when you went to so much trouble to make sure everything was so beautiful; and your mom went to a lot of trouble to have a face lift for it. Well, look at it this way: The memories will last forever, and the face lift will probably last for at least a little while too! I haven't had a chance to watch the wedding yet, but word is it was lovely.

As breast cancer charities go, Coalition Against Breast Cancer may not have the name recognition of, say, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, but its name is no doubt familiar to many earnest consumers who want their purchasing power to benefit the greater good. Alas, in a case that may offer lessons for those same consumers, the Coalition Against Breast Cancer is being accused by the state of New York of using almost none of the funds it collected for the cause.  The Coalition Against Breast Cancer, based in Long Island, told donors their money would go toward research and mammogram screenings, but spent most of the $9.1 million it collected over five years on fundraising fees, salaries and benefits and personal goods, the state attorney general alleges.

As breast cancer charities go, Coalition Against Breast Cancer may not have the name recognition of, say, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, but its name is no doubt familiar to many earnest consumers who want their purchasing power to benefit the greater good. Alas, in a case that may offer lessons for those same consumers, the Coalition Against Breast Cancer is being accused by the state of New York of using almost none of the funds it collected for the cause.  The Coalition Against Breast Cancer, based in Long Island, told donors their money would go toward research and mammogram screenings, but spent most of the $9.1 million it collected over five years on fundraising fees, salaries and benefits and personal goods, the state attorney general alleges.

Like those big-box stores that bank on holiday sales, charities too depend on end-of-the-year donations. Hence the current stream of seasonal solicitations. "If you just respond to these solicitations, you may not end up giving wisely or supporting your highest priority causes," says Bob Ottenhoff, president and chief executive of GuideStar, an organization that provides a repository of nonprofit information. Before you open your checkbook, Ottenhoff suggests you step back and ask yourself what really matters to you. Decide what you want your money to do. That goes beyond simply choosing a cause, such as cancer.

Every holiday season consumers get pitched by numerous charities that hope the spirit of giving will pry open hearts and pocketbooks. The appeals often have a sense of urgency as many charities struggle this year with increasing needs and declining donations because of the economic malaise. It's hard to turn down charities at times. But for giving to be truly effective, it should be well thought out overall and not done on impulse. "Most people give because they're asked," said Daniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy.

Dear Readers: Over the years, I have documented my fondness for tacky sweaters, dancing candy canes, bus stop nativities, mechanical reindeer, any drink with "nog" in the name and all things Santa. These delights are merely the colorful trappings of the holidays, because what really illuminates the world during this otherwise dark season is the generosity of individuals and the miracle of community. Times are tough. Unfortunately, because of the economy, charitable giving is down.

www.charitynavigator.org -- How can you tell a good charity from a bad one? How do you know that your donations will actually help the needy and not be squandered? Start with a visit to charitynavigator.org. Charity Navigator evaluates the finances of 5,300 of the nation's largest charities, rating each from zero to four stars. With a quick name search from the home page, you'll see how much each organization spends on administration, programs and fundraising.

About half of all charitable donations are made between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and this holiday season figures to be a lean one for charities. But giving less doesn't mean donors shouldn't give wisely. Charitable contributions tend to track the economy, rising a bit when times are good and falling when times are tough. However, contributions lag behind economic rebounds by six to nine months.

You know the holiday season has begun when the Salvation Army kettles start appearing at malls and grocery stores. This is the busy time of the year for charities in general, when about half of all donations made by Americans are given out. "The October-through-December corridor is the big giving time," said Bennett Weiner, chief operating officer of the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance. "Charities want to get a donation before the year is out and when the holiday spirit is in.

Like those big-box stores that bank on holiday sales, charities too depend on end-of-the-year donations. Hence the current stream of seasonal solicitations. "If you just respond to these solicitations, you may not end up giving wisely or supporting your highest priority causes," says Bob Ottenhoff, president and chief executive of GuideStar, an organization that provides a repository of nonprofit information. Before you open your checkbook, Ottenhoff suggests you step back and ask yourself what really matters to you. Decide what you want your money to do. That goes beyond simply choosing a cause, such as cancer.

Every holiday season consumers get pitched by numerous charities that hope the spirit of giving will pry open hearts and pocketbooks. The appeals often have a sense of urgency as many charities struggle this year with increasing needs and declining donations because of the economic malaise. It's hard to turn down charities at times. But for giving to be truly effective, it should be well thought out overall and not done on impulse. "Most people give because they're asked," said Daniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy.

Dear Liz: I want to dispose of my older car but don't want to face the hassle and intrusion of selling it. I'm having trouble finding a reputable car donation organization in my area. I checked with a charity watchdog site but it didn't have information on specific charities to use. Can you recommend an organization that operates efficiently and actually gives a substantial amount of the car proceeds to charity? Answer: Start paying attention to which charities heavily advertise their car donation programs on commercial radio and TV stations — and strongly consider avoiding them.

Dear Readers: Over the years, I have documented my fondness for tacky sweaters, dancing candy canes, bus stop nativities, mechanical reindeer, any drink with "nog" in the name and all things Santa. These delights are merely the colorful trappings of the holidays, because what really illuminates the world during this otherwise dark season is the generosity of individuals and the miracle of community. Times are tough. Unfortunately, because of the economy, charitable giving is down.

A Bay Area officer of the scandal-clouded Service Employees International Union has collected double salaries, one as a city transit worker and the other from a charity that receives much of its funding from the labor organization and corporate interests, records show. In addition, the nonprofit paid more than $16,000 in rent for the officer's home in 2007, the most recent year for which the charity's tax return is available, according to his son, who is also on the charity's payroll.

A nonprofit organization founded by California's largest union local reported spending nothing on its charitable purpose -- to develop housing for low-income workers -- during at least two of the four years it has been operating, federal records show.

Veterans' charities, whose donations have increased since the start of the war in Iraq, lag well behind other charities when it comes to the percentage of money that goes directly to services, a three-month Hartford Courant investigation has found. A handful of veterans' groups spend almost nothing on veterans' causes, diverting 90% or more of their money to administration and fundraising.

Dear Kim, Mazel tov on the wedding, Kim, and so sorry to hear about the divorce. It's such a drag when these things don't work out, especially when you went to so much trouble to make sure everything was so beautiful; and your mom went to a lot of trouble to have a face lift for it. Well, look at it this way: The memories will last forever, and the face lift will probably last for at least a little while too! I haven't had a chance to watch the wedding yet, but word is it was lovely.

A nonprofit housing organization has received a federal tax exemption retroactive to 2004 despite being linked to a corruption investigation into the Los Angeles labor union that founded it, according to Internal Revenue Service records and officials. The charity had been operating without an exemption since the Service Employees International Union local launched it more than four years ago.

www.charitynavigator.org -- How can you tell a good charity from a bad one? How do you know that your donations will actually help the needy and not be squandered? Start with a visit to charitynavigator.org. Charity Navigator evaluates the finances of 5,300 of the nation's largest charities, rating each from zero to four stars. With a quick name search from the home page, you'll see how much each organization spends on administration, programs and fundraising.