Check scam fund-raises off gift listDecember 2, 2007
By Jerry Davich Post-Tribune metro columnist
The flier on the grocery store bulletin board showed a photo of the cutest little boy. Two missing teeth. Big smile. Bright eyes. Can you picture him?
The words on the flier reflected an opposite image. The boy had some rare disease. His life may be cut short. He needed an operation. Badly.
The family needed financial help to make it a reality, and an upcoming fund-raiser asked for donations. Sound familiar?
I see these "sick kid" fliers everywhere -- on bulletin boards, at churches and eateries and, yes, in newspapers, too.
And each time I always wonder the same thing: Is this kid really getting the donated cash? Or is it getting spent on his father's drug habit or his aunt's boozing or his family's next vacation to sunny Disneyworld?
Plus, how many fund-raisers can one family have, and who's accountable for all the cash? And isn't the holiday season the best time of year to yank people's heart strings for money?
So I asked some experts how you and I can avoid phony or even questionable fund-raisers.
The short answer? Ask a lot of questions and do your homework before reaching for your wallet. Such as, where exactly is the money going, and how is it getting there? And is there a trust fund set up? Which bank?
It's not a guarantee that everything is on the up and up, but it's a step in the right direction, I was told by an official with the Better Business Bureau.
If the family or organizers stumble over the questions, or if you get a bad buzz about their replies, close your wallet. Why?
Because "there is not a provision for a charity or other group soliciting on behalf of themselves to be registered in Indiana," according to Staci Schneider, spokeswoman for the Indiana Attorney General's office.
Her office suggests you ask if the family is tied to an organization to donate to directly, such as the Charity for Organ Donation Assistance, which provides and manages financial accounts for "sick kid" fund-raisers.
"This allows a donor to know the funds are specifically used for the child's medical condition," Schneider said.
I talked to two mothers of upcoming "sick kid" fund-raisers, and both told me they've never been asked by potential donors of where the money is going or how.
One Portage mother whose daughter is in need of a double-organ transplant said previous fund-raisers have, for example, helped pay for gas money to drive her girl to Chicago four days a week for dialysis treatments and for other medical-related costs.
Both women also have trust funds set up at local banks and seem to be well-organized with help from family and friends.
On the flip side, I consistently hear from "sick kid" families -- a girl who had a double-lung transplant, a boy who needs a blood transfusion -- who honestly need help yet don't have a clue how to find it, let alone host a series of fund-raisers.
And if you think the well-known charitable organizations are more credible, think again.
This past week the Better Business Bureau of Northern Indiana revealed that one-third of the local charities it contacted this past year failed to disclose organizational information necessary for their evaluation by the consumer protection agency. That's right, one-third.
"While failure to disclose doesn't necessarily mean the charity is unethical or hiding something, it should raise a red flag for potential donors if a charity is holding back information and not being up front," CEO Michael Coil said.
If you're wondering about your favorite local charity, you can view full evaluations online at
www.bbb.org or call (800) 552-4631 for more information.
As for "sick kid" fund-raisers, the Attorney General's office is the monitoring agency that can review them for possible civil action as a result of deceptive solicitation or criminal activity.
If you're in doubt or want to file a complaint about a possibly fraudulent fund-raiser, visit
www.indianaconsumer.com or call (800) 382-5516.
Sure it's the season for giving and all that, but wouldn't you feel better if you know your money is going where it's supposed to go? I know I would.
Contact Jerry Davich at 648-3107 or jdavich@post-trib.com
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