The Tampa Bay Times and the Center for Investigative Reporting put together a list of 50 charities who are not spending the funds they solicit on the people they are supposed to help. In addition, some of these charities are probably named so that people will confuse them with well known charities. For example, #1 Offender "Kids Wish Network" may easily be confused with the legitimate "Make a Wish Foundation." These types of "businesses" can only function because people don't know about them, so below are the top 10 out of 50. For a list of all 50, go here.
Rank | Charity name | Total raised by solicitors | Paid to solicitors | % spent on direct cash aid |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kids Wish Network | $127.8 million | $109.8 million | 2.5% |
2 | Cancer Fund of America | $98.0 million | $80.4 million | 0.9% |
3 | Children's Wish Foundation International | $96.8 million | $63.6 million | 10.8% |
4 | American Breast Cancer Foundation | $80.8 million | $59.8 million | 5.3% |
5 | Firefighters Charitable Foundation | $63.8 million | $54.7 million | 8.4% |
6 | Breast Cancer Relief Foundation | $63.9 million | $44.8 million | 2.2% |
7 | International Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIO | $57.2 million | $41.4 million | 0.5% |
8 | National Veterans Service Fund | $70.2 million | $36.9 million | 7.8% |
9 | American Association of State Troopers | $45.0 million | $36.0 million | 8.6% |
10 | Children's Cancer Fund of America | $37.5 million | $29.2 million | 5.3% |