Dozens of Charities Use Fictional Gift-Annuity Pitch

Forbes reports that dozens of charities are using an off-the-shelf solicitation for charitable gift annuities that includes an endorsement from a fake person.

The online plugs, fashioned from materials provided by a California company called Crescendo Interactive and used by the Salvation Army, the Family Research Council, and numerous smaller organizations feature a testimonial from a woman claiming to be “delighted” with the 8 percent return on her annuity. The American Council on Gift Annuities says such rates are unavailable to most buyers.

The woman’s name and picture vary on different sites, but the pitch is the same. A footnote on a separate summary page states that “pictures and names may be representative of the actual donors.”

Crescendo sells contribution- and donor-management software to charities. The company’s chief executive, A. Charles Schultz, said he has urged customers to replace the “generic” donor examples the firm supplies with examples of their own.