The report shows a list of the 50 worst charities.

Some of these charities seem little more than scams from the audit reports on how the contributions distributed to those in need were unearthed. Many have names which are easily confused with legitimate charities. This type of issue hurts everyone who is trying to help others while running a proper organization with good operating numbers for efficiency.

See the Tamp Bay Times article below for some of the issues.

http://www.tampabay.com/topics/specials/worst-charities.page

Many of the charities on the list investigated for fraud by the paper could be ones supported by volunteer groups who were duped into supporting them. If this happens and you find out that the charity is not functioning up to the standards you expect, you have the right to take the issue before your group for review and if necessary, termination.

Several volunteer groups have been in the news lately for various issues other than this article by the paper. I don’t want to review all of those issues, but one, the Boy Scouts of America has just taken a huge step away from its previous position of not supporting gay leaders or scouts. If I understand correctly, the lift right now is only allowing gay scouts, not scout leaders. In any event, this is a dramatic change of policy which is very likely to influence the future in many ways for them.

For the Boy Scouts, many of the sponsors are Christian Churches who contribute building space, time, money or equipment and often members from their own flock. Many Christian Churches are not in tune with the gay agenda, either for the scouts or for the scout leaders. No matter how this issue sorts itself out, the Boy Scouts of America will be viewed much differently in the future. Whither this change is good or negative will be for history to reflect.

The Susan B. Komen group supporting cancer research has been in the news for its struggle to maintain its famous 3 day walks for a cure in cities where they have historically been successful. This doesn’t make it a bad charity just because it has to refine the process soliciting contributions! Unfortunately this group has recently had political issues where it did not want to support Planned Parenthood with the contributions it had raised, a huge change in policy from the past.

That really unfortunate stand was not viewed by the public as positive and it may still be hurting fund raising. Very strong feelings on both sides of this issue make it volatile and I would encourage the empowered volunteer to say away from commenting on it as he or she attempts to find members for their group. Sometimes groups have to change to stay viable in the public eye.

The point here is that while all legitimate charities are worthy, unfortunately there are way too many in the United States operating under questionable financial arrangements or even fraudulent ones, and you are not obligated to continue servicing them if they are found out to be this way. When too much of the public contributions are not funneled to those in need, it can raise doubt on the validity of the entire group.

Sometimes even the worthy ones end up changing their methods, or their values even when social pressures become too great to bear. 

Groups like the Moose and the Elks have changed their ways to be more in tune with society over the years. They changed for good reasons and maintained their worthiness of purpose.

Sometimes a group must change or become less appealing to the public. One group used to proudly claim that over one million dollars of charitable contributions per day were donated to by it’s members. Dwindling memberships have since narrowed that focused amount to a far smaller one.

Years ago the Freemasons in America endured a huge drop in membership when an event now called the “Morgan Affair” hit the news. Freemasons were accused of abducting and silencing a man who had claimed he was going to reveal their secretes to the public. Unfortunately this silly event was believed by the public and for decades hurt Freemason membership.

                                               ’Worcester Masonic Temple – 7

Every Freemason knows that while the organization as it is today was organized in 1717 it was in 1723 that a book was published revealing all of the so called secretes. Funny, to this day not one of the “secretes” has been in any way modified or refined. So much for secretes that Freemasons would “kill” for, wouldn’t you agree? Today such nonsense from questionable sources would never be able to make the public believe such a lie, but in the early 1800′s things were far harder to communicate and folks believed the worst.

You won’t find a Freemason who believes that the “secretes” make him a mason. He will reply that he was first made a mason in his heart and then in a proper lodge. The secretes are only a focus by ill informed public who want to create tension, usually for their own purposes.

Always do everything you can to be above reproach in your dealings surrounding your group and the charity your group supports. If you do that, everything will work out for the best.

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