Fundraising Trade Group Criticizes ‘Worst Charities’ Report

A recent media investigation of charities that devote most of their resources to raising revenue has drawn a critical response from an association of solicitation firms, which said the report painted a distorted picture of professional fundraising by focusing on “extreme cases,” writes The Huffington Post.

Association of Fundraising Professionals President Andrew Watt said the “America’s Worst Charities” report by the Tampa Bay Times, the Center for Investigative Reporting, and CNN focuses on a tiny minority of groups that pay solicitors on a percentage or commission basis, a practice “which is prohibited and considered unethical” by the association and most charities.

In a statement last week, Mr. Watt said the report could help “educate donors about wise giving” but that the groups it spotlights “are not representative of what a typical charity looks like or how it operates” and that the “use of professional solicitors is not an indication of whether or not a charity is legitimate or effective.”