[Advogado]

A few weeks ago, I posted a warning about this so-called charity (not to be confused with Relay for Life). The National Breast Cancer Research Center is at it again, with a new mailing to Villagers-- claiming to be conducting a "Villages Area Annual Fund Drive" and including in their mailing a pretty pink-ribbon decal. By the way, this seems to be their second "annual" fund drive in the last few weeks.

In fact, the so-called National Breast Cancer Research Center only spends 4.2% of the donations it collects on "research programs services". 51.7% goes to fundraising. 43% goes to "public education", which I suspect is primarily disguised fundraising. The rest (including whatever administrative compensation is buried in the first two categories) goes to "administration". In other words, the whole operation appears to be a giant fundraising scam, conducted primarily for the benefit of the administrators who run it.

The most disgusting aspect of this kind of operation is that it is diverting charitable contributions from legitimate organizations that really are fighting cancer.

[Russ_Boston]

http://www.charitynavigator.org/

Place to look up charities and their spending.

[Bryan]

It is interesting that "National Breast Cancer Research Center" is a DBA (Doing Business As) name for the Walker Cancer Research Center out of Aberdeen, MD. They are registered in Florida as a charitble organization (Registration #CH47) and their latest filings with the State of Florida show that 52% of all money they raise goes towards fund raising activities, 1% goes to Administrative overhead, and 47% of their money goes to their program service expenses (i.e. this is what part of each donation is actually used for the organizations stated purpose). Probably not the best use of your charitable donation since less than half of your donation actually goes to charitable work and it is not local (Maryland-based).

The best way to check a charity out for Florida residents in through the Department of Agriculture web site. Every charity must register and must show how much of their money goes to fund raising, administration, and to support their activity. The web site to check out a charity is:
http://csapp.800helpfla.com/cspublic...versquery.aspx

[Advogado]

Originally Posted by Bryan

It is interesting that "National Breast Cancer Research Center" is a DBA (Doing Business As) name for the Walker Cancer Research Center out of Aberdeen, MD. They are registered in Florida as a charitble organization (Registration #CH47) and their latest filings with the State of Florida show that 52% of all money they raise goes towards fund raising activities, 1% goes to Administrative overhead, and 47% of their money goes to their program service expenses (i.e. this is what part of each donation is actually used for the organizations stated purpose). Probably not the best use of your charitable donation since less than half of your donation actually goes to charitable work and it is not local (Maryland-based).

The best way to check a charity out for Florida residents in through the Department of Agriculture web site. Every charity must register and must show how much of their money goes to fund raising, administration, and to support their activity. The web site to check out a charity is:
http://csapp.800helpfla.com/cspublic...versquery.aspx

Bryon:

I think the reality is far worse than indicated by the numbers you cite.

In the fine print on the back of National Breast Cancer Research Center's solicitation, the Center breaks out the 47% that its Florida filing lumps together as "program service expense". As noted in my original post, only 4.2 points of the 47% go to "research program services", which is the stated purpose of the charity. The other 43% goes to "public education in conjunction with fundraising appeals". [Their language] Thus, the real percentage of the Center's revenue going to fundraising activities is almost 95% (according to the Center's own numbers, i.e., 51.7% + 43%).

I have seen a Villages golf cart bearing the charity's decal; so at least one Villager has apparently bought the Center's sales pitch.

BTW, perhaps a better way to check out a charity is through the Better Business Bureau website, since the BBB does an evaluation of the charity: http://www.bbb.org/us/Find-Business-Reviews/ The Center refused to submit information to the BBB, a fact which should scare off any potential donor.

[Pturner]

Originally Posted by Advogado

As noted in my original post, only 4.2 points of the 47% go to "research program services", which is the stated purpose of the charity. The other 43% goes to "public education in conjunction with fundraising appeals". [Their language] Thus, the real percentage of the Center's revenue going to fundraising activities is almost 95% (according to the Center's own numbers, i.e., 51.7% + 43%).

That's disgusting. Methinks the Ladies Posse needs to beat the crap out of them.