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Charity Watch: Did You Know?
Islam Online, Washington D.C.
12/12/2000
There is a fair bit of news about charitable acts in our society that escapes the mainstream press. Although charities say they do their best to keep donors informed, still, considerable misconceptions and doubts about giving to charities exist. However, despite the cynics among us, people are giving generously – evident in annual totals like the $3.7 billion reportedly collected by United Way.
Here are just a few news items that are sure to inform you, perhaps surprise you, but never bore you. These excerpts are taken from a special report by Mathew Sinclair that appeared in the Non Profit Times on December 1, 2000.
Ever Wonder If Your Contribution Actually Gets There?
“An American Cancer Society chapter in Glen Burnie, Md. discovered that funds to its coffers got rerouted to a recycling bin by a bank employee. An unidentified SunTrust Bank employee had allegedly taken checks home and thrown them out because of too heavy a workload. The exact amount was unknown, but estimates ranged at more than $80,000 for the organization, which raises roughly $40 million through direct mail campaigns each year.”
With Everyone Trying Out Online Auctions, Why Not Goodwill?
“Organizations have started to see the value of practical applications of new technological tools. Bethesda, Md.-based Goodwill Industries International, for example, developed an auction site, shopgoodwill.org, which sells items donated to local Goodwills. Dave Barringer, Goodwill’s director of brand management, said the auction site has reached annualized sales of $1 million and is growing.”
Upon Hearing About The Funding Troubles Of The Boy Scouts
“One Sunday sermon at the First Baptist Church in Miami led to the collection of $10,200. The Calvary Church in Ft. Lauderdale pledged $93,000 in support and has already raised $50,000. And a retired trucking executive with no prior connection to scouting met with the chief scout executive after reading about the fallout after the Dale case and wrote a check for $40,000 at his kitchen table. Another individual wrote a check for $48,000.”
What Was The Giving Forecast For The Year 2000?
“Giving USA reported its annual forecast of the country’s philanthropic giving, showing more than $190 billion. The 9.1 percent increase compared to the revised 1998 figures of nearly $175 billion was a slight decrease in rate of growth, but stood as the second largest percentage increase in a decade.”
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