The Tampa Bay Times and the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) partnered with CNN in a yearlong investigation to evaluate America’s worst charities and created a list of the 50 worst.
The results of their investigation are shocking, in terms of the measures some people will sink to in the name of profit. Take Kids Wish Network, for example. Kids Wish Network tops the list of the 50 Worst Charities, giving nearly $110 million to corporate solicitors and massaging donations with a variety of unsavory tactics.1
For example, Kids Wish did what many devious organizations do: it adopted a name that mimics a well-known charity in order to fool donors—in this case, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America.
Every year, Kids Wish Network raises millions of dollars in donations supposedly to help dying children and their families. But for every dollar donated, only 3 cents actually goes to those children and families.
The other 97 cents goes into the bank accounts of the company’s operators, and for-profit companies hired by Kids Wish to drum up donations. I wish I could say Kids Wish was an isolated case, but unfortunately, they are just one of many.
According to CNN:
“In the past decade alone, Kids Wish has channeled nearly $110 million donated for sick children to its corporate solicitors. An additional $4.8 million has gone to pay the charity’s founder and his own consulting firms. No charity in the nation has siphoned more money away from the needy over a longer period of time.”
Data from this investigation show the worst charities devote less than four percent to direct cash aid. Some gave even less, and five on the list gave zero percent. The top 10 worst charities are listed in the following table, alongside the percentage each spent on direct cash aid.
| Charity | Total Raised by Solicitors | Total Paid to Solicitors | Percentage Spent on Direct Cash Aid | |
| 1 | Kids Wish Network | $127.8 million | $109.8 million | 2.5% |
| 2 | Cancer Fund of America | 98 million | 80.4 million | 0.9% |
| 3 | Children’s Wish Foundation | 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 Services Fund | 70.2 million | 36.9 million | 7.8% |
| 9 | American Association of State Troopers | 45 million | 36 million | 8.6% |
| 10 | Children’s Cancer Fund of America | 37.5 million | 29.2 million | 5.3% |
Resources for Finding Good Charities
A number of excellent online services can help you find the best charities, or check out someone claiming to be one. You may find the following websites quite helpful:
- Charity Navigator: Browse charities by state or city or by ratings; has several Top 10 lists and informative articles.
- GuideStar: Another resource to check out a charity, searchable by state or city; you can also read or submit charity reviews.
- CharityWatch (American Institute of Philanthropy): Allows you to search for top-rated charities by your issue of interest/cause; each charity is graded on the A-F scale.
- GiveWell: A unique site that offers in-depth charity research, resulting in a VERY short list of recommendations for charities that meet their specific (and very rigid) criteria; their end goal is to determine which charities provide “maximum impact.” Very interesting and innovative company, which is a nonprofit itself.
Top Favorite Charities
Each of these partner-organizations was chosen due to its rich history of advocacy, active campaigning for change, and commitment to preserving your access to health information and freedom of choice. The following table lists those five organizations, as well as five more that I actively support.
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