CONTACT: Susan Bach, Director of Communications
PHONE: 414- 847- 6085
FAX: 414-302- 0355
E-MAIL: sbach@wisconsin.bbb.org
Milwaukee, Wis. – Sunday’s anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks is sure to evoke memories, emotion and, for some, philanthropy. The Wisconsin Better Business Bureau (BBB) wants to remind people that scammers may take advantage of the anniversary, and that donors should carefully research a charity before they give.
A recent Associated Press investigation found that many 9/11 charities “failed miserably” in serving victims, their families and their memories, yet continue to collect donations. This past week, the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs warned that a scammer was calling residents in Northeast Wisconsin fraudulently soliciting donations for a veterans’ clinic in Green Bay.
“Unfortunately, there are good charities and bad charities, and some that call themselves charities that are flat-out scams,” said Randall Hoth, Wisconsin BBB president/CEO. “We want people to give with their heart, but use their heads.”
The Wisconsin BBB has seen an increase this past week in requests for BBB reviews of charities that claim to help 9/11 causes. The BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance reviews charities, much like a BBB Business Review, and lets donors know whether or not the charity meets WGA’s 20 standards for charitable accountability, which address issues such as governance, effectiveness, finances and charitable solicitations.
Before giving to a charity, the Wisconsin BBB warns consumers to:
* Ask questions about why the charity still needs to collect 9/11 related money. What ongoing purposes are they serving that flow from the events of 9/11? You can request written details from the charity about what it does with the donations.
* Check out the charity before donating at http://www.bbb.org.
* Always donate using a check. Requests for cash-only, wire transfer or donations picked up by a courier should be seen as a red flag.
* Don’t give over the phone or by clicking on a link inside an emailed solicitation. Either donate to the organization in person, by mail only sending to a verified and trusted address or on the charity’s secure and trusted Website.
* Beware of charities that use names or similar sounding names of well-known organizations. Scammers will try to confuse you by using names of trusted organizations.
* Refuse high-pressure appeals. If the organization is legitimate, it can wait for your donation until after you’ve had a chance to full research it.
* Check with the IRS at http://www.irs.gov/app/pub-78/ to verify the organization’s tax exempt status, and make sure the organization has all proper registration and licensing. In Wisconsin, charities must be regulated through the state’s Department of Regulation & Licensing and the Wisconsin Attorney General’s office.
In the months following the 9/11 disaster, the Metro New York BBB Foundation’s New York Philanthropic Advisory Service surveyed 9/11 related charities and published a report about its findings. That report is attached with this release.
For more information or further inquiries, please contact the Wisconsin BBB at http://www.wisconsin.bbb.org or 414-847-6000 (metro Milwaukee), 608-268-2221 (Madison), 920-734-4352 (Appleton) or 1-800-273-1002 (elsewhere in Wisconsin).
About BBB
BBB is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Businesses that earn BBB accreditation contractually agree and adhere to the organization’s high standards of ethical business behavior. BBB provides objective advice, free business BBB Reliability ReportsTM and charity BBB Wise Giving ReportsTM, and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. To further promote trust, BBB also offers complaint and dispute resolution support for consumers and businesses when there is difference in viewpoints. Although the first BBB was founded in 1912, the Wisconsin BBB began in 1939. Today, 125 BBBs serve communities across the U.S. and Canada, evaluating and monitoring more than four million local and national businesses and charities. Please visit http://www.bbb.org for more information about BBB.
