French Charities’ Spending Under Investigation

French authorities are investigating how more than a dozen charities, some with links to American marketing and mailing outfits, are spending money they raised for causes as diverse as African hunger relief and fighting Alzheimer’s disease, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The preliminary proceeding, a mechanism often used by French prosecutors to gather information before starting a formal investigation, was prompted by a 2008 report by health authorities, who found that the Alzheimer’s research organization Airma spent 8.4 percent of the $7.4-million it raised from 2004 to 2006 on its declared mission.

According to the report, Airma relied on the Market Development Group and Saturn Corporation to conduct mail and e-mail campaigns.