At Issue & In Focus

10th Anniversary of 9/11: National Day of Service and Remembrance

Each year, on or around the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, thousands of Americans support charitable causes, volunteer and engage in other acts of compassion to remember and honor the 9/11 victims and survivors. We also honor all who rose in service in response to the attacks, including first responders, recovery workers, volunteers, public safety personnel, members of the military, and all of their families.

To honor this anniversary, you can consider participating in the National Day of Service and Remembrance  by organizing a service activity to pay tribute to the victims and heroes of 9/11 – and to keep alive the spirit of unity and compassion that followed the attacks.

You can find volunteer opportunities and do-it-yourself project ideas by visiting www.serve.gov, the website created by the Corporation for National and Community Service and which features more than 250,000 volunteer opportunities available throughout the year. 

The Massachusetts 9/11 Fund has also compiled a list of planned commemorations, service projects, and community events open to the public, happening on September 11th and throughout the fall season.  For additional guidance, you can also refer to the 9/11 Tribute Guide provided by the My Good Deed & HandsOn Network 2011. The guide helps activity organizers include appropriate forms of remembrance (such as a suggested moment of silence) when implementing 9/11 Tribute charitable service activities.

The Attorney General’s Office encourages generous and wise charitable giving at this special time.  To check on a charitable organization’s registration with our office, or learn more about savvy charitable giving, please visit our Non-Profit Organizations and Public Charities Division online.

Japan Disaster Relief: Tips for Giving Wisely

In the wake of the devastating earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan and its aftermath, the Attorney General’s Office encourages residents to consider donating to charitable organizations that can help those who have been impacted by this devastating natural disaster.  Relief efforts are currently underway and are expected to continue through the upcoming months.  In light of this ongoing effort, the AGO warns potential donors to protect themselves from fundraising scams claiming to benefit those affected by last week's catastrophe.

To best assure that your donation will be used for its intended purpose, the AGO offers the following suggestions:

• Check to see if the charity is registered and filing with the Attorney General’s Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division. Registration and filing information can be obtained online at www.mass.gov/ago/charitiesreports or by calling the division at 617-727-2200 x2101.
• Know your charity. Take the time to verify the address, phone number, contact information, and review the website and written material, when possible. If you have any doubts, well established charities with experience in disaster relief are generally a good choice.
• Do not pay by cash. Pay by check, and make it out to the charity (use its full name; don't use initials), not the fundraiser. Never give your credit card number to a fundraiser over the telephone.

All charities and fundraisers operating in Massachusetts are required by law to register with the AGO.  This requirement also applies to businesses that advertise a portion of their sales will go to earthquake relief.  While registration with the AGO does not indicate that the office approves or endorses the organization, it does provide the public with valuable information regarding how long the organization has been in existence, its financial condition and its track record of complying with state registration and filing requirements.

For more tips on giving wisely to disaster relief charities, please visit the Non-Profits & Charities portion of the AGO website.

Professional Solicitations

Today, the Attorney General’s Office released its report on Professional Solicitations for Charity in 2009.  Professional solicitors, who are paid by charitable organizations to solicit donations from the public, are required by statute to register with the Attorney General’s Office.  This report, released annually to assist consumers in making informed decisions regarding their charitable giving, found that professional solicitors raised nearly $329 million.  However, of this amount only $141 million went to the charity.  This means that on average, of every dollar that a professional solicitor raised for a charity in 2009, only 43 cents went to the charity.  

In addition to looking at the results of the report, potential donors should always do their homework if they are contacted by a professional solicitor, including asking how much of every dollar donated will go to the charity and requesting confirmation of the charity’s name and the services it offers to the public.  For more tips, review our Give, But Wisely Advisory online.  The Attorney General’s Office also maintains annual financial statements from charities and professional solicitors that operate in this state, which are available for public inspection online. Residents with concerns about solicitations they have received should contact the Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division at 617-727-2200 x2120.

‘Common Cents’

With the season of giving upon us, Bruce E. Spitzer, director of communications for the Massachusetts Bankers Association, offers advice on how to spend your money wisely during the holiday season.  In his column for the MetroWest Daily News, entitled "Common Cents on Holiday Spending", Spitzer offers an array of recommendations and tips, from creating a budget and avoiding excessive debt, to knowing the refund and return policies of vendors and checking all account statements frequently. 

Spitzer also advises consumers to use caution when shopping by phone or on the Internet, and urges them to protect their privacy by only supplying personal information for known reasons and to never supply social security numbers or bank account information to anyone online.  He recommends researching a company and its reputation before engaging in a transaction with them. Two resources for this information include the Attorney General’s Office Consumer Hotline or the Better Business Bureau.   Spitzer also warns consumers to beware of holiday charity scams and advises them to contact the Attorney General’s Office where consumers can find hints on giving wisely and can find if a charity is registered and up-to-date on its filings.    

Visit our Scams and Identity Theft page and Non-Profit & Charities page for more information on protecting yourself this holiday season and beyond.

Survey Finds Good and Bad News for Charities

In what some may consider a sign of an improving economy, a recent survey of non-profit organizations found that overall contribution levels in 2010 had increased over 2009 levels. Each year, the National Research Collaborative conducts an end-of-year fundraising survey. In 2010, representatives of 2,356 public charities and 163 private foundations took the survey online between October 19 and November 3, with 37 percent of respondents reporting decreased contributions, a 14 percent drop from the reported 51 percent in October 2009.

However, in what is still a sign of tough times, the same survey found that 20 percent of survey respondents reported that their budgets for 2011 will be lower than their 2010 budgets, while at the same time reporting an increase in the need for services provided. Despite the increase in need, when organizations predicted budget cuts, the most frequently cited measures to reduce expenditures were cutting program activities, services, or operating hours.

The period between October and December remains the most popular time to make charitable donations, and you do not need a survey to remind you of the great need that still exists.  When making charitable donations, this holiday season and beyond, make sure that you know whom you are giving to and where that money is going. The Attorney General’s website allows you to search for and access the annual reports and filing documents for all charities registered in Massachusetts.

A Little Bit of Charity Going A Long Way

Nine-year-old Kelsa Villeneuve’s stuffed animal drive began as a simple community project for her Girl Scout troop.  The Ashburnham native started the drive for children orphaned by the earthquake in Haiti.  After donating her beloved stuffed animals to the cause, she placed boxes around town and invited the community to donate as well.  The small project has since ballooned into a community-wide effort, yielding upwards of 55 bags full of stuffed animals over a five month period. 

Kelsa’s drive has garnered national attention and the commendation of such political figures as Michelle Obama and Senator John Kerry.  Attorney General Martha Coakley also recognized Kelsa’s noble cause by adding a stuffed animal of her own to the drive.  Mayor Thomas Menino’s office will deliver the roughly 2,000 stuffed animals to Haiti in August.

As legendary basketball coach John Wooden once said, “You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”  Kelsa’s drive is a reflection of this sentiment.  With the disaster in Haiti, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and a tough economy, donations are needed more than ever.  If you wish to follow Kelsa’s lead and donate to a charitable cause, but are unsure of how to properly go about doing so, check out our guidelines on how to donate wisely.

June 14th is Nonprofit Awareness Day

Massachusetts is the first state in the nation to officially celebrate a Nonprofit Awareness Day to honor of the work of nonprofit organizations. Each year, the second Monday in June is set aside to celebrate the work of nonprofits and recognize their contribution to the health, safety, culture and quality of life for all of us throughout the Commonwealth.

Our nation has a long and rich tradition of people coming together and forming organizations to solve problems and enrich their communities. In fact, Alexis de Tocqueville, the noted French historian, said: “Americans of all ages, all stations of life, and all types of disposition are forever forming associations.”

Non-profit organizations in the U.S. include healthcare, social service, educational, fraternal, cultural and charitable organizations that provide a large and diverse array of services that benefit our communities.  In addition, non-profits are a vital contributor to our economy. They employ almost 14 percent of the state’s workforce – 450,000 jobs - which is more than all local, state, and federal jobs combined.  Last year, the nonprofit sector generated over $86 billion in salaries, goods and services for Massachusetts.

To learn more about the nonprofit sector in Massachusetts – including news, grant opportunities and how to research potential jobs - check out www.massnonprofit.org.

Is It Charity?

They’ve become a familiar site in parking lots and on other public places. But what many people don’t know when they toss unwanted clothes or other household items into clothing donation bins, is that their “donation” is not always charitable and could be increasing the bottom line of a for-profit business, not furthering the mission of a charity.

So if you would like those unwanted items to further a charitable cause or mission, the Attorney General’s Office wants to remind the public to be aware that their donations may not contribute to charitable purposes and that a little homework on behalf of a prospective donor, can assure that your donation benefits a charity if that is your goal.

For consumers who want to ensure that their clothing donation is going to a charitable cause, the Attorney General’s Office advises the public to follow these few simple steps:

• If a company seeking your donation states, explicitly or implicitly, that a portion of the proceeds will advance a charitable organization or cause, do your homework. Make sure the company has registered with the Division as a commercial co-venturer. Consumers can call the Public Charities Division to confirm if a for-profit is registered with our office at 617-727-2200 ext. 2101.
• Do not hesitate to contact the company and ask how much of the value of your donation will be dedicated to charitable causes.
• In most cases where the recipient is not a charity, the percentage contributed to charitable purposes is small. Consider whether that contribution level is acceptable to you.

For more information on clothing donation bins, members of the public can view the Clothing Donation Consumer Advisory on the Attorney General’s website.

2-1-1

Contributed by Meghan Keaney, Communications Director, United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley

Do you know someone who may need help with their utilities or other basic needs this winter? Tell them to dial 2-1-1 from any home or cell phone. 

The United Way has been seeing more and more residents who have been caught off-guard by the unstable economy – individuals who have jobs but still can’t make ends meet under a sharply rising cost of living. Last year, in an effort to ensure that individuals and families in unexpected financial crisis have somewhere to turn for help, United Ways across the state came together to launch the Community Support Fund, which provides direct emergency assistance for basic needs.

Mass211 is a free and confidential help line to connect people to health and human services. Individuals who need cash assistance for heat, food or other basic needs can access our Community Support Fund by dialing 2-1-1.  Data for 2009 reveals that Mass211 received over 46,000 calls with the majority coming from Boston, Brockton, Lynn, Springfield and Worcester. The overwhelming majority of calls were regarding assistance with basic needs such as rent, utilities, and food. The United Way would also like to encourage people to use 2-1-1 as a resource during tax time, to help residents find free tax filing sites and determine eligibility for EITC.  Notably, people can also use 2-1-1 to find organizations accepting donations for the Haiti Earthquake Recovery effort.

Donate Wisely To Disaster Relief Organizations

As relief organizations descend onto the impoverished island nation of Haiti to aid the thousands who need food, water and supplies in the wake of Tuesday’s earthquake, the Attorney General’s Office wants to encourage residents to consider donating to charitable organizations that can help those who have been impacted by this devastating natural disaster, but is also warning potential donors to protect themselves from fundraising scams claiming to benefit those affected by this week's catastrophe.

To best assure that your donation will be used for its intended purpose, the Attorney General’s Office offers the following suggestions:

• Check to see if the charity is registered and filing with the Attorney General’s Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division. Registration and filing information can be obtained online at www.mass.gov/ago/charitiesreports or by calling the division at 617-727-2200 x2101.
• Know your charity. Take the time to verify the address, phone number, contact information, and review the website and written material, when possible. If you have any doubts, well established charities with experience in disaster relief are generally a good choice.
• Do not pay by cash. Pay by check, and make it out to the charity (use its full name; don't use initials), not the fundraiser. Never give your credit card number to a fundraiser over the telephone.

All charities and fundraisers operating in Massachusetts are required by law to register with the Attorney General's Office.  This requirement also applies to businesses that advertise a portion of their sales will go to earthquake relief.  While registration with the Attorney General’s Office does not indicate that the office approves or endorses the organization, it does provide the public with valuable information regarding how long the organization has been in existence, its financial condition and its track record of complying with state registration and filing requirements.

For more tips on giving wisely to disaster relief charities, please view the press release.