Laurie Styron's Links:

• Fox Tampa Diabetes charity refutes failing grade - FOX 13 News

  “In 2008, the Defeat Diabetes Foundation spent only 17 percent of its cash budget on it's programs, with the remainder being spent on fundraising and other overhead, so it received an 'F' rating for financial efficiency from AIP,” said Laurie Styron, an AIP analyst. “Now why this is of concern to donors is that if you are a donor who is giving money to this charity now, more than likely at least part of your donation will be going to pay some of those past debts versus those programs that you are currently trying to support,” Styron said.

• NBC New York | Espada's Nonprofit Clunkers Raise Eyebrows

  "An employee and their relatives should not use a charity's resources for personal gain or to offset personal expenses," said Laurie Styron, an analyst.

• Rolling Stone | The Dark Side of Celebrity Charities

  "It's great when a famous person brings attention to a cause," says Laurie Styron. "But when it comes to distributing money, you have to have a charity with expertise. We say donate directly to the charity." Madonna learns that doing good isn't always easy.

• The Chronicle of Philanthropy - June 28, 2012

  Next to Mr. Borochoff, the most visible CharityWatch employee is Laurie Styron, an analyst who has been with the group for nine years and helps her boss decipher financial documents and handles some news-media interviews. Charities, charitable giving, advice for donors

• Good Morning America, Tim Tebow, RetailMeNot, and Ford Surprise Youth Basketball Charity with Generous Support — Styron Consulting

  I was happy to work with Good Morning America in December 2014 to assist them with screening NewFlex Hoops, aka NewFlex Youth Programs, a New York based charity that focuses on mentoring youth through basketball and other sports programs. This is a small charity primarily run by volunteers that provides important youth programs in an underserved community.

• Safe Volunteerism and Charity Online - Norton.com

  Then, says Laurie Styron, an analyst with the American Institute of Philanthropy, a watchdog group, take these steps to better know your charity: 1. Research.

• NBC - 10 Tips for Choosing a Charity - US news - Giving | NBC News

  7. Find out about expenses Even if the charity is a good one, you might feel cheated if you later find out that most of your gift went to pay the people who called you up and asked for money, or to pay the salaries of the group's top officers. In general, efficient groups will spend at least 65 percent of their funds on the causes they support, says Laurie Styron, an analyst with the Chicago-based American Institute of Philanthropy, which rates charities for donors. The percentage may be lower for groups that support controversial causes such as abortion rights, since those groups have more trouble raising money. You can ask the charity for this information, which it is required to provide, or search the Web.

• Commercial real estate firm hired to market Pouch Camp

  "On the hierarchy of who they should have their hand out to, the national should be pretty high up on that list," Laurie Styron, an analyst for AIP, said of the financially-struggling Greater New York Councils of Boy Scouts. "Based purely on the numbers, the national has the resources to do it," she added.

• USA Today | FBI tackling rising number of Haiti scams

  “Choose the charity you want to (support) before you’re asked,” says Laurie Styron, a Charitywatch analyst. “If you give in response to someone pressuring you . . . you don’t have time to check out the group. Don’t feel guilty about saying, ‘No,’ “ Styron says.

• Maximize Charitable Donations by Contributing from your IRA — Styron Consulting

  Of course, contributing to charity from your IRA is not the only way to make a tax-free donation. Itemizers of any age can also generally deduct up to 50% of adjusted gross income (computed without regard to net operating losses or carrybacks) for contributions made to public charities and certain other non-profits. To take a deduction for the 2014 tax year donations must actually be paid before the close of the tax year. Expressing an intent to donate but not sending funds to the charity until 2015 will generally not qualify for a 2014 tax deduction.

• Controversy Surrounds Planet Aid Organization’s Collection Boxes

  “They are really playing some accounting tricks here because once you reallocate all their clothing collection costs back into fundraising – where it really belongs – they actually spend a very low percentage of their budget each year on their programs,” Laurie Styron, of Charity Watch, said.

• Hawaii Star Bulletin - Checking on Charities

  Ten states do not even require charities to register with the state, either electronically or on paper, according to Laurie Styron. She cautioned that donors should remember that being registered does not imply state endorsement, and financial statements should be carefully reviewed. Charities, donor advice, charitable giving

• VIDEO - CBS LOS ANGELES | Charity Watchdog Accuses Planet Aid Of Misleading Its Donors

  VIDEO: “They are really playing some accounting tricks here because once you reallocate all their collection costs back into fundraising, where it really belongs, they actually spend a very low percentage of their budget each year on their programs,” Laurie Styron said.

• Harold Camping Oct. 21 Rapture: Is Family Radio a Trusted ...

  The Christian Post spoke with Laurie Styron, an analyst for American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP), a nonprofit charity watchdog and ...

• Some Treasure Coast professionals find it pays to work for a ...

  Laurie Styron, an analyst at CharityWatch, said she often hears would-be contributors say they want their money to go to the program, not to overhead.And it isn't necessarily in a nonprofit's best interest to keep salaries low, Styron said. "If paying more for better-qualified people makes a nonprofit operate more efficiently and provide more and better services," she said, "it's money well spent.""That's not to say there aren't people who get excessive compensation (from nonprofits)," Styron said. "There definitely are. ... "Nonprofits have to compete with the private sector for employees, so there's no absolute dollar figure you can point to and say, 'Oh, that's too much to pay.' You have to consider all the contexts involved. The amount of money a nonprofit pays someone may seem high, but maybe that's what they need to pay to attract someone who can do the job effectively.""Hospitals are a different animal than most nonprofits," said Styron. "Most typical nonprofits, such as a homeless shelter or a group that collects money and provides services for local veterans, get most of their income from contributions. Hospitals usually get a tiny percentage of their income from (contributions)." Most of a nonprofit hospital's income is program service revenue, Styron said, money paid for services provided, either by individuals or private insurance or government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. "So in this way, they're not that different from a for-profit hospital," she added.

• San Diego Uptown News Premier culinary event benefits Mama’s Kitchen

  Laurie Styron, an analyst with charitywatch.org, said organizations across the country such as Mama’s Kitchen have been seeing an increase in volunteers during the down economy. “Some of it is certainly altruism, but another aspect of it is people are just available when previously they haven’t been,” Styron said. “People who’ve been unable to find work are using volunteering as an opportunity to gain valuable experience to improve their resume or, in some cases, they’re looking for networking opportunities. It’s definitely better than sitting at home waiting for a job to come to you.”

• Chicago Tribune | Chicago Reader | Austin Mayor Blog

  The Tribune stands by its Farm Aid story, the one Neil Young tore into pieces at a news conference. Or rather reporter Jason George and his editor, Jim Kirk, stand by it. Rock critic Greg Kot holds it at arm's length. Kot wasn't consulted before the story was written, and in his Tribune interview with Young last Sunday he made it clear that Young was angry about "an investigative news story that emanated from a different department in the newspaper." Kot tells me, "Neil's father was a journalist. He knows how papers operate." Miner also "knows how papers operate" and he made a call to Laurie Styron, an analyst with the American Institute of Philanthropy in Chicago, who pointed out that the Trib's story "missed the whole point" of the Farm Aid concert. She says the purpose of such extravaganzas -- not just the concert but any other high-profile charity event, including the familiar black-tie auction and ball -- is to raise visibility and drum up donations. These events are expensive, she explains, and on a balance sheet often not particularly profitable.

• Fox Dallas Fort Worth | Court records detail Kelleys' financial troubles | myFOXdfw.com

  We asked CharityWatch to review the documents, and here is what analyst Laurie Styron concluded: "Based on the very limited information in the charity's 2007 tax form, it is not clear that the Kelleys were doing anything illegal. What is clear is that none of the money raised was spent on cancer research grants. The charity did not report that any of the travel, meals, or other expenses were related to granting wishes to terminally ill adult cancer patients, as was its mission. With only three people on the charity's board, two of them husband and wife, there was not enough independent oversight in place to ensure proper or efficient use of funds."

• Lowell Sun | Sun Santa sets new record, tops $200G - Lowell Sun Online

  Laurie Styron, an analyst at the American Institute of Philanthropy, said that even during recessions, the end of the year is typically a time when donations to charities spike. "The holidays always inspire people to give over the last few months of year," she said.

• Laurie Styron
• 10 Tips for Choosing a Charity - today > news - TODAY.com

  Even if the charity is a good one, you might feel cheated if you later find out that most of your gift went to pay the people who called you up and asked for money, or to pay the salaries of the group's top officers. In general, efficient groups will spend at least 65 percent of their funds on the causes they support, says Laurie Styron, an analyst with the Chicago-based American Institute of Philanthropy, which rates charities for donors.

• Laurie Styron Archives » All Sides with Ann Fisher

  Content tagged with Laurie Styron. ... Archived Programs · Mass Incarceration Series · About All Sides · Contact Us. Archives: Laurie Styron. August 3, 2011 ...

• Variety Magazine | ‘Tis the season to save lives | Variety

  THE VERITY OF CHARITY It’s the season to give, but before you do, make sure the org you donate to puts its money where its mouth is. Laurie Styron, an analyst for CharityWatch.org, warns, “Any organization that fills out the proper tax forms can call itself a charity even if only 1% of donations go to active programs.” Styron advises taking the following measures before you donate. Make sure the org has both online and bricks-and-mortar addresses. Request written literature and a copy of the charity’s annual report. Don’t give cash. Keep paper copies of all of your transactions. Make sure they have a secure website. Find out where your money is going.

• Stop Junk Telemarketing Calls

  Laurie Styron, an analyst with the American Institute of Philanthropy talking about how so-called "professional fund raisers" keep the lion's share of the money donated from telemarketing campaigns.

• "laurie styron" brian williams - hotpz.com

  Stephen Colbert lampooned it. The Huffington Post highlighted some of its aggressive legal actions against small mom-and-pop charities.

• New Requirements for Non-Profit Reporting of Net Assets — Styron Consulting

  The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has proposed changes to how charities must report their net assets and is accepting public comment until August 20, 2015. The changes are intended to improve the usefulness of financial statements for both internal and external stakeholders while reducing the complexities and costs shouldered by charities required to produce financial data about their operations.

• How to Give to Charity the Right Way - Health.com

  Don't let guilt guide your giving You're emerging from Macys, arms bulging with gifts. How could you not give a few dollars to the person soliciting for a good cause outside the door? Heres why not: “You have no idea if its a legitimate charity or representative,” says Laurie Styron, an analyst. “And if you give cash, you have no way to make sure it got to the group.”

• Breast Cancer Fundraising: Where Does All That Money Go? | The Westside Gazette

  Researching different charities and products for a breakdown of how funds are allocated is time consuming and most charities and companies don’t make it accessible, according to Laurie Styron, charity analyst for watchdog group, the American Institute of Philanthropy. “Even if you want to do your homework, the public has no way of confirming,” says Styron. “Information isn’t available and companies don’t want to give it to you.” Also, Styron says to remember that most of the money being raised in these events is for awareness, not research. “Part of what they are trying to accomplish is breast cancer awareness. If you are someone participating in these events and think that everything you raise is somehow going to research, you are wrong.”

• Project Management — Styron Consulting

  "Many nonprofit leaders are already stretched thin and lack the time or mental space to redirect their attention away from their organization's larger goals in order to oversee the details of an important project. Laurie Styron can help you identify the information you need to make wise cost/benefit decisions for your project within the appropriate scope and in consideration of limited resources."

• Funds for Oklahoma charities go in part to fundraisers

  "It seems so shocking, doesn't it, but that is not unusual," said Laurie Styron, an analyst with the American Institute of Philanthropy. "In the case of these professional fundraisers, if you were to just tell a donor ... people would refuse to give. They'd hang up on you."

• Houston Chronicle | Research Charities Before You Give, Experts Say

  "Don't be 'guilted into giving,' " Styron said. "If they pressure you, let the person know that you never give 'on-the-spot' without having time to research the charity. A charity's ability to show you sad photos or rattle off statistics doesn't really tell you anything about how efficiently it is operating, or if any of your donation will really be used for charitable causes."

• 10 News Investigators: Veterans Support Organization (VSO ...

  Dec 19, 2011 - "The charity is reporting zero fundraising expenses," noted the AIP's Laurie Styron. "The charity is claiming that expenses like $151,300 in ...

• Lawrence Journal Worldwide | Concerns raised about overhead costs of Tonganoxie-based nonprofit Purple Heart Veterans Foundation / LJWorld.com

  Another red flag for Styron was the creation of a second nonprofit that “tugs at the heart strings.” Support the troops? Help kids with cancer? Who wouldn’t want to help out, she said. Styron cited previous cases across the country where individuals have created multiple nonprofits as way to funnel donation money to themselves. Charities, charitable giving, advice for donors

• New Oklahoma law should make charities more accountable | NewsOK.com

  "Generally speaking, states seem to spend most of their time collecting information and overseeing the collection of the information, but they don't do a whole lot with the information once they get it,” said Laurie Styron, an analyst with the American Institute of Philanthropy. In such a case, "How helpful is the collection of it in the first place?”

• 'Smile' charity leaders in midst of decade-long feud

  But Laurie Styron, an analyst with the American Institute of Philanthropy, said competition for donor dollars is fierce among charities in this economic climate, particularly among groups that do similar work. Americans gave an estimated $307 billion to charity in 2008, a 5.7 percent drop from 2007 in inflation-adjusted dollars - in the first decline since 1987, according to Giving USA, a foundation that studies charitable giving. Styron said that while large organizations often make donations to smaller ones, in an outsourcing type of arrangement, "there's more than what's apparent" in this case because of the rivalry between the two charities.

• For Corporate Donors — Styron Consulting

  "Retain Laurie Styron for general consulting about your company's ongoing charitable giving decisions or engage her for one-time consulting about a specific organization you are considering supporting."

• Laurie Styron
• Komen defends its 'For the Cure" trademark protection

  With more than 2 million charities in the country, there are just so many words and colors that can be used, and legal wrangling about pink and “for the cure” begins to “sound ridiculous,” said Laurie Styron, an analyst with the American Institute of Philanthropy. “This could really backfire if Komen takes it too far.”

• Los Angeles Times | Charities often need middlemen

  "National Veterans Foundation spends 19% of their budget on programs, and it costs them $89 to raise $100 in public donations," Laurie Styron, an analyst, told me. Styron asked me a fair question: If I got a phone call or a letter asking me to give $100 to a charity, would I still consider giving if I knew the vast majority of my money would go to a professional fundraising company instead of to the charity? I had to admit, my answer would be no.

• For Grantmakers — Styron Consulting

  "Retain Laurie Styron for general consulting about your ongoing grantmaking decisions or engage her for one-time consulting about a specific organization you are considering supporting."

• Dallas News | Troy Aikman Foundation sitting on $1.6 million in unused funds | Dallas Morning News

  A financial analyst who reviewed the Aikman Foundation's records said a charity shouldn't keep a rainy day fund unless it is accruing money for a specific project. “To have a charity sitting on many, many times its budget in reserve for an event in the future that may or may not occur. ... If all charities did that, we'd be in big trouble,” said Laurie Styron, an analyst with the American Institute of Philanthropy. Aikman's philosophy, Styron said, is similar to a world hunger organization sitting on its money because it doesn't know where the next famine will break out – even though people are starving around the world today. “I'm sure Troy Aikman has other causes he really feels passionate about, and he should really consider donating this money to one of those if he's not able to use it in the near future,” she said.

• Blog — Styron Consulting

  Laurie Styron provides commentary and helps donors understand topical news stories affecting the non-profit sector as well as issues at specific charities.

• Komen defends its 'for the cure' trademark protection - Peoria Star Journal

  With more than 2 million charities in the country, there are just so many words and colors that can be used, and legal wrangling about pink and "for the cure" begins to "sound ridiculous," said Laurie Styron, an analyst with the American Institute of Philanthropy. "This could really backfire if Komen takes it too far."

• Fox Tampa | Charity gets 'F' for the way it raises funds - FOX 13 News

  “If this charity promised you a couple years ago that it was going to wean itself away from its reliance on professional fundraisers, it certainly hasn't kept its promise,” said Laurie Styron, speaking on behalf of the charity watchdog group which is based in Chicago. “Certainly if a group is only spending 6 percent of it's total expenses in 2007 and 2008 on its programs, you do have to question if the person running the group is really earning their keep,” said Styron who reviewed Children’s Charity Funds latest tax returns from 2008.

• Cleveland Plain Dealer | Man accused of running fake U.S. Navy veterans charity ...

  Laurie Styron, an analyst with CharityWatch of Chicago, which evaluates and rates charities, said fake charities relying on emotional appeals and limited government scrutiny are common. But she said Thompson "took charity scams to another level. . . ."" He appears to be someone who crossed the line fairly early on." She was cheered by Thompson's arrest. "Millions of charitable dollars that could have helped veterans were wasted," she said. "People should take this as a lesson to be more vigilant." U.S. Navy Veterans Association

• CBS MoneyWatch :Charities Fake Their Numbers to Look Good - CBS News

  Styron said that inflating the value of in-kind donations is a common way to fudge a charity's numbers, making a non-profit appear efficient on paper, when it's wildly inefficient in practice. Another way that charities can fudge their numbers is to claim their fundraising expenses as "educational" costs, Styron said. Charity regulators allow the cost of mailed solicitations to be classified as "education" (which falls under the "programs" umbrella) as long as there is some "call to action" in the fundraising appeal, she said. What's that? It can be as mundane as saying: "Remember to get your annual breast exam," Styron said. Or "Vote!" In addition, the cost of salaries for staff members must be allocated between "programs," "administration," and "marketing," based on how they spend their time. That, too, is a subjective process, where those with the most aggressive stance about what falls into the "programs" basket look the best.

• NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams - Giving in Haiti

  Ms. LAURIE STYRON (American Institute of Philanthropy): "Never give to charity based on emotion or give to a charity that you're not familiar with. There are just too many scams and frauds." NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.

• Shawnee Dispatch | Questions arise over leader of Tonganoxie-based charity

  Laurie Styron, a nonprofit analyst with the American Institute of Philanthropy, advised donors to focus on well-established nonprofits, and she recommended avoiding donating to groups soliciting in front of stores, especially if they’re an unknown group. “Don’t give on the spot,” she said.

• Breast Cancer Research: How To Donate | BlackDoctor

  Researching different charities and products for a breakdown of how funds are allocated is time consuming and most charities and companies don’t make it accessible, according to Laurie Styron, charity analyst for watchdog group, the American Institute of Philanthropy. “Even if you want to do your homework, the public has no way of confirming,” says Styron. “Information isn’t available and companies don’t want to give it to you.” Also, Styron says to remember that most of the money being raised in these events is for awareness, not research. “Part of what they are trying to accomplish is breast cancer awareness. If you are someone participating in these events and think that everything you raise is somehow going to research, you are wrong.”

• Fox Lubbuck - How to Choose and Evaluate a Charity Before Giving

  Laurie Styron, an analyst for the American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP), adds that many people mistakenly assume all charities are worthwhile, or that they are monitored by the government to ensure they are fulfilling their mission "In truth, under the First Amendment, the government is not allowed to mandate that a charity spend a minimum percentage of your donations on bona fide charitable programs,” says Styron. “Charities just have to show that they are doing something charitable, which in the worst case can mean that only 1 percent of what you donate will be used for charitable programs."

• New York Post | Questionable charities in with the bin crowd

  “If you really want your clothing to do something charitable, sell them yourself or donate them to a highly efficient charity whose values are in line with your own,” said analyst Laurie Styron.

• FBI tackling rising number of relief scams | The Salt Lake Tribune

  "Choose the charity you want to [support] before you're asked," says Laurie Styron, an analyst.

• Media — Styron Consulting

  Laurie Styron has worked with a wide range of media outlets on investigative pieces involving nonprofits, conducting research and financial analysis, and ...

• 5 Reasons Giving Anonymously to Charity Makes Better Use of your Donation — Styron Consulting

  "No Tax Write-Offs: If you itemize your taxes each year and meet IRS requirements to write-off charitable donations, giving to charity anonymously may not be an option. Generally you will need to acquire receipts with personally identifiable information from the charity to prove your donation. Cash donations of less than $250 can be documented with a cancelled check, bank record, or a receipt from the charity containing the charity's name, and the date and amount of the donation. To write-off cash donations of $250 or more a receipt is required and a cancelled check or bank record will not suffice."

• Sun Sentinel

  "As long as direct mail includes some kind of 'education,' then they think they can count that as one of their programs," said Laurie Styron, an analyst at the American Institute of Philanthropy. Styron combs through the finances of charities to separate fundraising from programs.

• Check Your Charities - Natural Health

  “People frequently make a donation to a charity because they like the cause, but without fully understanding the types of programs they are supporting, or how much of their donation will actually go to the cause itself,” notes Laurie Styron. You can further narrow your search by deciding where you want your money to go. “Some cancer charities will spend most of your donation on research, others on direct assistance to patients and still others on pamphlets, TV ads and other types of awareness,” says Styron. “Don’t assume that just because a charity has a cause you believe in that it operates the types of programs you are interested in supporting.” Do your due diligence and donate from there.

• MarketWatch | Misdirected philanthropy

  Says Laurie Styron, a financial analyst: "There are real consequences to giving to an inefficient charity. You may accomplish less giving $1,000 to an inefficient charity than giving $100 to an efficient one." Put in clearer terms: "If ABC charity feeds five starving children with a $100 donation and XYZ charity can feed 50, if you give to the inefficient one, that's 45 children not being fed," Styron says. "That's why making educated decisions is such a key element to giving." Adds Styron: "People who hustle to get donations in by year-end are more susceptible to highly emotional appeals. Whatever shows up in our mailbox -- a solicitation with photos of starving children -- and voila, I have my charity." Don't let the research involved in responsible giving dissuade you, Styron says. Instead, take advantage of the growing transparency and your ability to give more to your chosen cause with minimal effort. Says Styron: "The most charitable thing anyone can do is to educate themselves on where their money is going, to ensure they accomplish the most good for something that really matters to them."

• How to Choose and Evaluate a Charity Before Giving

  Laurie Styron, an analyst for the American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP), adds that many people mistakenly assume all charities are worthwhile, or that they are monitored by the government to ensure they are fulfilling their mission "In truth, under the First Amendment, the government is not allowed to mandate that a charity spend a minimum percentage of your donations on bona fide charitable programs,” says Styron. “Charities just have to show that they are doing something charitable, which in the worst case can mean that only 1 percent of what you donate will be used for charitable programs." Charities, charitable giving, advice for donors

• Has CERF+‘s fundraising kept pace with its expanding mission? — Hot Sheet — Glass Quarterly — UrbanGlass

  “If you were looking at the website, you would get the impression that your money is going to go to these artists,” said Laurie Styron, an analyst at the charity watchdog American Institute of Philanthropy. “They’re clearly spending way more on other things, programmatically, than on direct assistance. If it’s their key fundraising point, then they aren’t being clear with people that it’s not really what their primary program is as an organization.”

• FOX - VIDEO - Do fast cars mean fast cash for charity? - FOX 13 News

  "Celebrities typically align themselves with a specific cause and a noble cause, like helping sick and dying children. However they often don't take the next step of making sure that charity they are working with is operating efficiently and effectively," Styron continued. "The charity gives too much to fundraisers and not enough to kids." VIDEO

• In this season of giving, open the checkbook, but give it some thought - SFGate

  "Sometimes when there is an excellently run charity, another one will pop up and name themselves something similar," says Laurie Styron, an analyst with the American Institute of Philanthropy, a watchdog organization.

• Some wary of football season ticket program - The Michigan Daily

  Gifts to the Athletic Department do not benefit the University's academic side because the two have separate budgets. "Most people have limited resources," said Laurie Styron, an analyst at the American Institute of Philanthropy. "So when they're making giving decisions, often times they are choosing among many causes that are important to them. It's quite possible that they will view this as their charitable donation for the year."

• VIDEO: CBS Miami: I-Team: Veterans Charity Questioned

  “From a governance perspective this charity is a one man operation. The president of this charity gave himself voting rights for the entire board of directors,” Styron said. “This is unheard of in the charity world.” The 990 [of Disabled Veterans Foundation] shows that director and president Jean Luc Veraguas “has voting rights for all directors.” “Nobody other than the president has any real power,” said Styron of DVF and Veraguas. “You are putting your trust in this one person. And how much do you know about this person?” “Whenever you hand cash over to someone on the street there is absolutely no way of tracking how your donation is used,” said Laurie Styron, based in Chicago. “What should be a very big red flag for donors is that if there are some discrepancies with what the charity reports on its website and what the charity’s financial reporting tells us,” said Styron. “There are troubling discrepancies between how the charity (DVF) is portraying itself on it’s website versus what the tax form it files with the IRS reveals.”

• Laurie Styron | LinkedIn

  Laurie Styron, Accountant & Non-Profit Financial Analyst. Charities, charitable giving, accounting services for charities, advice for donors

• Mike Ditka: Information from Answers.com

  Mike Ditka Former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka is one of only two men — the other is Tom Flores — to have won a Super Bowl as a player, assistant coach, and head coach. Born October 18, 1939, Ditka was drafted to play tight end by the Bears in 1961,...

• Neil Young Has a Cow | Media | Chicago Reader

  But Laurie Styron, an analyst with the American Institute of Philanthropy in Chicago, tells me the Tribune "missed the whole point" of the concert. She says the purpose of such extravaganzas--not just the concert but any other high-profile charity event, including the familiar black-tie auction and ball--is to raise visibility and drum up donations. These events are expensive, she explains, and on a balance sheet often not particularly profitable. But she says that's not how to judge them. Referring to the 2003 Farm Aid tax return George had cited in his article, she wrote him an e-mail saying he "completely ignored the $747,880 which was raised [in donations] above and beyond the retail value of the ticket price, which is reported as Contributions." She went on, "The whole point of a charity throwing such an event is the opportunity for them to raise Contributions."

• Styron Consulting, LLC

  "Laurie Styron is a financial analyst and accounting consultant with thirteen years experience in the nonprofit sector. Laurie has dedicated her career to helping charities improve their governance, financial reporting, and public accountability, and to helping funders make better-informed donating decisions.Laurie has worked with a wide range of media outlets on investigative pieces involving non-profits, conducting research and financial analysis and providing interviews for both television and radio as well as print/online publications."

• Poor people's advocate may need a little help itself - Las ...

  May 1, 2008 — ... flow and high turnover can be hard for a young nonprofit organization, said Laurie Styron, analyst for the American Institute of Philanthropy.

• Some wary of football season ticket program - The Michigan ...

  "Most people have limited resources," said Laurie Styron, an analyst. "So when they're making giving decisions, often times they are choosing among many causes that are important to them. It's quite possible that they will view this as their charitable donation for the year."

• Weird Al Schools Us on Synergy in his song

  A friend who also works in the non-profit sector sent me a link today of a Weird Al song/video called "Mission Statement," that pokes fun at this overuse of corporate speak. It's all about achieving "Synergy." I for one think achieving synergy is a worthy goal. But...I can also take a joke. I hope you have a laugh watching this video.

• Laurie Styron - Chicago, Illinois, CharityWatch , Northeastern

  Laurie Styron was appointed Executive Director of CharityWatch in 2020 after more than sixteen years of commitment to the organization.Read more

• CBS Pittsburgh | Controversy Surrounds Planet Aid Organization’s Collection Boxes | Stuck in Pittsburgh

  “They are really playing some accounting tricks here because once you reallocate all their clothing collection costs back into fundraising – where it really belongs – they actually spend a very low percentage of their budget each year on their programs,” Laurie Styron, of Charity Watch, said.

• Ebola Outbreak - How the Narrative Affects the Need — Styron Consulting

  "Much of the success of fundraising for a disaster depends on how the narrative of the disaster is crafted by the governments and charities responding to it, and how the story unfolds in the media. If it's personal-- if the story is told in a way that provides a clear beginning point for the crisis and also allows us to imagine ourselves being in the desperate situation at hand--our empathy gene is activated. If on the other hand the narrative becomes too impersonal--too many statistics; too focused on intellectual public policy discussions; too generalized and focused on the otherness of far off problems in far away places--the story falls flat. We don't feel involved. And when we don't feel involved we don't give."

• Doomsday Church: Still Open For Business - AllDeaf.com

  "At first glance, it looks like they have a lot of assets, but they actually don't have a lot of cash that they're stockpiling," said Laurie Styron." If people donating to this group think the world is ending on Saturday, then I'm not sure that they care," Styron said.

• GAIA gets the boot from Indy | News | NUVO News | Indianapolis, IN

  According to AIP analyst Laurie Styron, the F rating stems from the group's fund raising inefficiency and low percentage spent on charitable programs. Charitable programs account for only 1 percent of Gaia's budget. Tax forms indicate that Gaia's primary program is environmental education through used clothing collection "to avoid these items filling up landfills and thereby contributing to increased carbon dioxide and global warming." Styron says it is "quite a leap" to claim that the primary benefit of Gaia's clothing collection is environmental, since there are many charities competing for clothing donations and it is doubtful the clothes would end up in landfills without Gaia's work. "What it comes down to is donor intent," Styron says via e-mail. "Are people donating clothes to Gaia with the intent that they be sold for a profit, or do they intend for them to be given to people in need or used by the charity in its programs?"

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  "If people think that all this money is actually going to help these seals, when it actually may be going into producing more literature to send out more fundraising materials, we definitely feel that charities should be forthcoming about that," says Laurie Styron, an analyst with AIP.

• Charitable Giving: How Is Your Money Being Spent ...

  "If you are in a position to make large donations to charity, it is easier to put restrictions on how the funds may be used by the charity and track the results," says Laurie Styron." For donors making smaller gifts, following up on your donation requires you to look at how efficiently the charity is operating on the whole," says Styron. "Even if the charity happened to use your $100 donation on feeding hungry kids, for example, if it spent the vast majority of its other expenses on fundraising and other overhead that year, clearly this is not a group that is accomplishing what it should relative to the donations it receives."

• Breast Cancer Fundraising: Where Does All That Money Go? « NoirWoman Magazine & Network

  Researching different charities and products for a breakdown of how funds are allocated is time consuming and most charities and companies don’t make it accessible, according to Laurie Styron, charity analyst for watchdog group, the American Institute of Philanthropy. “Even if you want to do your homework, the public has no way of confirming,” says Styron. “Information isn’t available and companies don’t want to give it to you.”

• Troy Aikman funds sit unused | Dallas Morning News

  A financial analyst who reviewed the Aikman foundation’s records said a charity shouldn’t keep a rainy day fund, unless it is accruing money for a specific project. “To have a charity sitting on many, many times its budget in reserve for an event in the future that may or may not occur...if all charities did that we’d be in big trouble,” said Laurie Styron. Aikman’s philosophy, Styron said, is similar to a world hunger organization sitting on its money because it doesn’t know where the next famine will break out — even though people are starving around the world today. “I’m sure Troy Aikman has other causes he really feels passionate about and he should really consider donating this money to one of those if he’s not able to use it in the near future.”

• NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams - Giving in Haiti

  Ms. LAURIE STYRON (American Institute of Philanthropy): "Never give to charity based on emotion or give to a charity that you're not familiar with. There are just too many scams and frauds." NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. VIDEO

• Integrated Healthcare Strategies | Justifying Executive Pay at Non-Profit Healthcare Organizations

  The high salaries may not jibe with most peoples' perception of a nonprofit, said Laurie Styron, an analyst with CharityWatch, a Chicago-based nonprofit charity watchdog and information service formerly known as the American Institute of Philanthropy, but they're often necessary for the nonprofits to perform their services. "That's not to say there aren't people who get excessive compensation (from nonprofits)," Styron said. "There definitely are. ... "Nonprofits have to compete with the private sector for employees, so there's no absolute dollar figure you can point to and say, 'Oh, that's too much to pay.' You have to consider all the contexts involved. The amount of money a nonprofit pays someone may seem high, but maybe that's what they need to pay to attract someone who can do the job effectively."

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  "When you have these highly inefficient charities siphoning all the resources away from efficient ones, that's not in anyone's best interest,” said Laurie Styron, an analyst.

• Fox Tampa | Fundraisers getting much of the cash from charity for troopers? - FOX 13 News

  "This organization conducted a telemarketing campaign in which the fundraiser kept 80 percent of the donations it raised, that leaves 20 percent of the organization funds to use to help troopers," explained Laurie Styron, an analyst for the American Institute of Philanthropy, a charity watchdog group. "Our telemarketers or fundraisers, as I like to call them, they collect money for us and they get to keep most of it," said Howes. Subtract operating expenses and that 20 percent going to help troopers and their families drops to just 16 percent. That's why AIP, Styron's watchdog group, gave the American Association of State Troopers a failing grade.

• Students arm selves for charity with silicone bracelets - KentWired.com

  To order bracelets, Laurie Styron, analyst at the American Institute of Philanthropy, a watch-dog group that monitors charity’s spending, recommends contacting national charities directly. “If you’re going to buy a bracelet online,” Styron said, “the one question to ask is how much of my money is going to go to the cause? Any group that can’t answer that question, I would be wary of.”

• Do some charities become too good for their own good? — Styron Consulting

  "Punishing charities that prove themselves to be highly efficient and effective by pulling their funding amounts to promoting mediocrity in the best case, and failure in the worst case. It communicates the message, "We will reward you with more funding if you do a bad job because we like to feel needed, and punish you and the beneficiaries of your work if you do a good job." This is absurd."

• Cashathon: The Rise of Charity Races - WSJ

  True, says Laurie Styron, an analyst at the philanthropy institute. But she adds that awareness may not be a donor's first priority, especially ...

• MSN Canada: Federal workers aid suspect charities

  The use of CFC participation as a badge of honor by participating charities creates a problem for all donors, not just federal workers, since donors may think the government has investigated the groups, says Laurie Styron, an analyst for the American Institute of Philanthropy, another watchdog group. That’s no big deal if you’re wealthy enough to hire an investigator, “but if you’re a little old lady giving $100 a year, you think this group has a governmental seal of approval and you think these groups have really been checked out,” Styron said.

• Fox Business | Where the Money Goes: How to Donate Safely During Breast Cancer Month

  Researching different charities and products for a breakdown of how funds are allocated is time consuming and most charities and companies don’t make it accessible, according to Laurie Styron, charity analyst. "Even if you want to do your homework, the public has no way of confirming," says Styron. "Information isn't available and companies don't want to give it to you."If you are asked by a cashier, telemarketer or someone on the street to donate to a charity, Styron said to be wary. "Generally speaking, only about one-third of what you donate to a telemarketer gets to charity," she says. "Don't respond to telemarketing calls or feel pressured to give on the spot.""People confuse the cause with the specific charity associated with the cause," Styron says. "People say, 'I care about saving the dolphins, or breast cancer, or recycling ,' and hand money over, because they think it's associated with the cause." Also think about direct mail solicitation, which can oftentimes be considered "awareness," as long as there is some type of educational information presented in the message, Styron says. "They are basically calling ‘fundraising’, ‘awareness’.”

• Charity Run By NFL Legend Mike Ditka Folds -By NBC News Channel MINNEAPOLIS

  "In 2005 the group gave out more money to pay celebrities to play golf than the group in its entire three years of operation gave out to injured players," explained Laurie Styron. She also said it appeared to be unintentional. "It doesn't appear there was ill intent, it appears there was just a lot of mismanagement."

• New York Magazine - How to Find Charities That Will Do the Most With Your Money

  Analyst Laurie Styron talks about how to give to charitis that will do the most with your money.Groups for veterans, lost children, or firefighters and police. A lot of times, someone who wants to set up a sham charity will think, Oh, everyone wants to donate to a wounded soldier, a lost child, or the burn unit at the hospital.

• Garden & Gun | Giving Wisely by Caroline McCoy. G&G Holiday 2007 | Garden and Gun

  “What you need to know is what a charity is accomplishing in relation to the resources it receives,” she says. “One charity may be able to vaccinate fifty children with your ,000 donation, while another charity may be able to vaccinate a hundred children with the same ,000.”Once you’ve determined the cause or causes you want to support, identify the charities that target them, and research them. Laurie Styron, an analyst for the American Institute of Philanthropy, another charity watchdog organization that provides comprehensive information on hundreds of charities, cautions against basing decisions on information provided by the charities themselves.

• For Charities — Styron Consulting

  "It is satisfying for me to see a non-profit succeed and to know that I played a role, however small, in facilitating that success. You are invested in the mission of your nonprofit and want to dedicate as much of your time as possible directly to the cause of your organization.You are looking for the right consultant and I am looking for the right clients. While every nonprofit has accounting and management needs, not every arrangement is a good fit. Let's chat so I can understand your needs and discuss whether or not I am the best person to help you achieve your goals."

• CharityWatch Hot Topics Concerning Your Favorite Charities

  Laurie Styron, AIP Analyst In this interview CharityWatch Analyst Laurie Styron explains that Defeat Diabetes Foundation receives an F rating ...

• Independent Sector

  Next to Mr. Borochoff, the most visible CharityWatch employee is Laurie Styron, an analyst who has been with the group for nine years and helps her boss decipher financial documents and handles some news-media interviews. Charities, charitable giving, advice for donors

• Las Vegas Sun - Poor people's advocate may need a little help itself

  The combination of what O’Rourke called “very tight” cash flow and high turnover can be hard for a young nonprofit organization, said Laurie Styron, analyst for the American Institute of Philanthropy. “It would be unusual for a charity to make it with this kind of beginning,” she said. Styron also said the local Urban League affiliate had what appears to be a top-heavy administration, with chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief operating officer and communications/government affairs positions overseeing a full-time staff of 48. “Why do you need all these top positions?” Styron said. Austin had estimated in October that 40 percent of the organization’s budget went to administration and 60 percent to programs. Styron, whose American Institute of Philanthropy grades nonprofit organizations, said this 40-60 split might earn an organization a C. “Most would be able to spend 75 percent on programs,” she added.

• Five Ways to Check a Charity - Free Online Library

  Beware red ink. Charities must file a Form 990 with the IRS annually (if you can't find the form on the charity's Web site, call and request a copy). Look for the line that indicates whether the charity has positive or negative assets. If the answer is negative, steer clear, says Laurie Styron. "Your donation may go to legal or accounting fees, or to pay past debts relating to the charity winding down, rather than to the programs you're intending to support."Review the charity's annual report. Look for the word "unqualified" in the auditor's note, which indicates that the auditor has signed off on the charity's finances without reservation. If, on the other hand, the audit is "qualified," it means that the auditor may have substantial doubt that the charity can exist for another year, says Styron. Circumstances that trigger such concerns include the loss of a major donor or an overall decline in contributions.

• Giving season coming up short | SouthCoastToday.com

  Laurie Styron, an analyst in Chicago, told The Standard-Times "There have been so many disasters this year. If people are giving their money to national disaster funds, which we've seen happening, then it is going to have an effect on local charities and causes, and could potentially be a big problem." Ms. Styron said donations to human service-type organizations have been in decline for the past three years, and that the year of disasters will probably hurt local organizations even more this season. "If people gave whatever they had to disaster victims, maybe they will say, 'I don't have any more to give.' But there's still a lot of need out there, especially with local groups." Ms. Styron said people might have been more apt to give to "flashy" disaster funds after they saw dramatic photos, video clips or celebrities on TV asking for money -- and might forget about their local neighborhood charities. "For national disasters, there were all kinds of dramatic photos of disaster victims and famous people making pleas, whereas, for a lot of local charities, it's not as flashy. Local charities just rely on people to remember them." She said financial information isn't available yet as to how charities were affected by the year of disasters because a complete fiscal year has not passed.

• Charitable Giving: How Is Your Money Being Spent?

  If you determine that a charity you donated money to has made poor use of financial contributions, do you have any recourse? It’s not likely you will get your money back. "Charities are rarely under any legal obligation to return your donation to you in the event you later become dissatisfied with your giving decision," says Styron.

• Los Angeles Times: How much pink turns into green?

  "As long as direct mail includes some kind of 'education,' then they think they can count that as one of their programs," says Laurie Styron, an analyst at the American Institute of Philanthropy who combs through the finances of charities to separate fundraising from programs.

• Newsweek - Polish Edition | Kto pomoże Mikołajom? - ŚWIAT - Newsweek.pl

  Laurie Styron discusses the long tradition of community organizing in the United States with Newsweek, Polish Edition. Charities & charitable giving.