Laurie Styron's Links:
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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.
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Fab over Fifty | Fashion Flash - 2011
We spoke to Laurie Styron an analyst at The American Institute of Philanthropy, a national charity watchdog group that rates charities from A to F in order to help consumers make the best decisions about where to send their money. Laurie says there are several troubling aspects to this “pink product” craze. “There’s no way to find out exactly how much a company is giving to the charity,” she says. “They don’t have to tell the consumer and they can be very vague, as in ‘a portion of the proceeds go to fighting breast cancer.’” There’s no definition of what “proceeds” means. “So, for example, if Walmart is advertising a $20 pink water bottle made by ABC company, and saying that ABC company is giving 10 percent of the proceeds to charity, most people assume that means 10 percent of $20.” But, says, Laurie, that’s rarely the case. “Proceeds” likely refers to the manufacturer’s price, which the consumer has no way of knowing. And it may be referring to “net profit” rather than revenue. So, ABC company can end up giving a tiny percentage. Or even worse, they can give zero percent, and the entire promotion can slip by under the guide of “breast cancer awareness”– another issue that drives Laurie crazy. “A lot of money is wasted each year on expensive ‘awareness’ campaigns that are no longer necessary for a cause that people are so broadly aware of, like breast cancer. I will donate $50 to any charity that can find me 10 people who aren’t ‘aware’ of breast cancer.” Also, Laurie points out, the donation is often capped. So a company might say, “$30,000 of the profits of this pink item go to charity. But what if they sell 8 million dollars worth?” So what’s an FOF to do, if, in Laurie’s words “your deep motivation is to channel as much money as you possibly can to researching and finding a cure?” Find a breast cancer charity that spends a high percentage of its expenses on funding research and give to them directly.
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"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.
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The Christian Post | Harold Camping Oct. 21 Rapture: Is Family Radio a Trusted ...
"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.
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Rating Charities and Regulating Non-Profits | All Sides with Ann Fisher
RADIO INTERVIEW [stream 3:35 to 33:42] : Laurie Styron interview about Three Cups of Tea author Greg Mortenson and his charity Central Asia Institute. 60 Minutes & CharityWatch Investigation
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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.
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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 ...
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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.”
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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.
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Laurie Styron (LaurieStyron) on Twitter
The latest from Laurie Styron (@LaurieStyron). Accountant & Non-Profit Financial Analyst. Chicago. Donor advice, accounting services for charities, charitable giving
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For Charities — Styron Consulting
Laurie Styron links to web sites of interest to charities.
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Red Cross Accused of Diverting Assets from Storm Victims in Favor of Image Promotion — Styron Consulting
"Donors do need to understand that disaster relief is not an exact science and that it is unrealistic to expect the Red Cross and other relief organizations to perfectly predict where and when aid is most needed, and to distribute that aid with no waste and zero victims falling through the cracks. These organizations rely on a lot of volunteers who may not be adequately skilled or trained to perform all the tasks needed to assist those affected. And by their very nature disasters and their resulting effects on transportation routes, electrical grids, and other infrastructure present frustrating challenges that are not always easily or efficiently overcome. Some slack, issues with resource distribution, and response lag-time is par for the course, within reason."
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Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Ending one year in negative territory doesn’t necessarily mean the organization is going under, says Laurie Styron. But if the organization comes up short for several years in a row, she says, “that’s an indication it could be winding down. Your contribution could be used to pay legal fees or creditors rather than the programs you are intending to support.”
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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.
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Mike Ditka - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ultimately, however, in December 2007, Ditka folded his "Hall of Fame Assistance Trust Fund" charity amidst revelations that, "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", according to Laurie Styron of the American Institute of Philanthropy.
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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.
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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.
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San Francisco Weekly – September 28, 2011 : Gross Profit
"We can come up with theoretical ways of how the system can be changed, but I don't know in practice if it will ever happen. I suspect that it won't," she said. Styron, from the American Institute of Philanthropy, isn't so sure a more accurate answer will get the results the charity wants. Donors, she said, want to know their money is going to, as she put it, help the dolphins - not pay overhead costs. "Unfortunately, if you said to a donor, point-blank, 'Hey, we're raising money for this important cause. Please give me $50. By the way, none of it will actually go to the charity, because I need to be paid my hourly rate to be soliciting you.' ... Donors aren't going to be enthusiastic to donate under those circumstances," she said.
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Canada | Western Standard - Save the anti-sealers
"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.
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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.
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Do Some Charities Become Too Good for... - Styron Consulting, LLC | Facebook
Do Some Charities Become Too Good for Their Own Good? I read an interesting article in The Huffington Post recently by Kathleen P. Enright, the head of...
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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
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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 ...
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Styron Consulting
Laurie Styron has worked with a wide range of media outlets on investigative pieces involving nonprofits, conducting research and financial analysis, ...
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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."
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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."
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Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Ending one year in negative territory doesn’t necessarily mean the organization is going under, says Laurie Styron. But if the organization comes up short for several years in a row, she says, “that’s an indication it could be winding down. Your contribution could be used to pay legal fees or creditors rather than the programs you are intending to support.”
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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.
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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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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
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Federal grand jury looking into nonprofit Kilpatrick Civic Fund | wzzm13.com
Laurie Styron, an analyst with the Chicago-based American Institute for Philanthropy, said she could not say if it's illegal for a nonprofit or charity to pay criminal defense attorneys, even if such payments fall outside the fund's stated purpose. But, Styron said, "if they're using the charity to subsidize their own private lifestyle, that's highly unethical."
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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 ...
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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.
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ICPAS - Illinois CPA Society
“Follow the cash because including donated goods in this analysis can greatly skew the numbers and make certain charities appear to be operating very efficiently, even when most of its cash donations are being used for fund-raising or management,” says Styron. Be wary of any organization that fails to respond to your inquiries about their finances. Charities, charitable giving, advice for donors
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Laurie Styron | LinkedIn
Laurie Styron, Accountant & Non-Profit Financial Analyst. Charities, charitable giving, accounting services for charities, advice for donors
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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.
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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
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RADIO INTERVIEW: All Sides with Ann Fisher : 11:00 AM - Rating Charities and ...
RADIO INTERVIEW [stream 3:35 to 33:42] : Laurie Styron interview about Three Cups of Tea author Greg Mortenson and his charity Central Asia Institute. 60 Minutes & CharityWatch Investigation.
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MSNBC - Federal workers aid suspect charities - US news - Giving - msnbc.com
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.
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Fox News | Where to Give As Veterans Get Shortchanged By Charities
The problem is even more significant because some 200,000 veterans — or about a third of the entire adult homeless population — are living on the streets. "A huge percentage of our homeless are veterans," said AIP analyst Laurie Styron. "There's a lot of need for veterans out there." "The biggest concern is just how highly inefficient many of the veterans' groups tend to be," Styron said. "It’s a highly popular cause. It’s a cause that’s easy to raise money for because it tugs at the heartstrings. It’s easy to guilt people into giving."
- Laurie Styron
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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.
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Concerns raised about overhead costs of Tonganoxie-based nonprofit Purple Heart Veterans Foundation | TonganoxieMirror.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.The best thing consumers can do to prevent potential shady practices is be educated about where you donate, Styron said. “Never give impulsively,” she said.
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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.
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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.”
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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?”
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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."
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AG alleges fraud by LI breast cancer group | Newsday
Jun 28, 2011 — Laurie Styron, an analyst at the American Institute of Philanthropy, which rates charities online at charitywatch.org, said top-rated charities ...
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Styron Consulting, LLC | Facebook
Styron Consulting, LLC, Chicago, Illinois. 109 likes. Financial analyst, accounting consultant, & CPA candidate dedicated to improving charity governance, financial reporting, & accountability.
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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
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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 ...
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MarketWatch | Are Charity Walks and Races Worth the Effort?
True, says Laurie Styron, an analyst. But she adds that awareness may not be a donor's first priority, especially when it comes to breast cancer, "which people are very, very aware of already." Supporters need to consider whether they want their donations paying for water bottles, tents and pasta dinners, she says. Others question the walkathon movement altogether, citing the relatively high cost of special-event fund-raising -- typically 50 cents on the dollar -- compared with the nonprofit average of 15 to 20 cents on the dollar.
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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 ...
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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.
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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."
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Charitable Giving: How to Check Up on Charities - CUNA
If you contribute to a charitable organization, do you know how your dollars are being put to work? Laurie Styron, analyst with the American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP), Chicago, discusses the AIP's charity rating system, which is determined by the charity's allocation of its donations.
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Cadillacs for Kids | Youth Today
“People assume that states are monitoring charities, and think, ‘Certainly, a state wouldn’t let them go on doing it if they’re bad,’ ” says Laurie Styron, an analyst with the American Institute of Philanthropy. “People think there’s this infrastructure in place, when it really isn’t.”“Few, if any, states have the resources or infrastructure in place to analyze all of the financial information a charity provides and act on it accordingly,” says Styron.
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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,...
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Confronting 'a national disgrace' - Archive - Frederick News-Post
"It's important for donors to have confidence in the charities they are donating to," Styron said.
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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.”
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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."
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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."
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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.
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Lubbock Avalanche Journal | Some 'bad' groups spend more on fundraising than programs
"It's important to make educated decisions and not emotional ones," said Laurie Styron. "Always take the time to check out the charity before you give," Styron said."Even if they are a legitimate charity, that doesn't tell you if it is a good charity or bad charity," Styron said. Since there are many inefficient charities out there, charity watch groups encourage potential givers to look into how an organization spends their money.
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'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.
- Wall Street Journal
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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.”
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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.
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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.
- Laurie Styron
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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.
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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
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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
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Home and Familly Finance - Saco Valley Credit Union
Laurie Styron, analyst with the American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP), Chicago, discusses the AIP's charity rating system, which is determined by the charity's ...
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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."
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Fox Memphis - Court records detail Kelleys' financial troubles - FOX13 News, WHBQ FOX 13
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."
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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."
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Wall Street Journal - How to Check Out a Charity's Financial Health - WSJ
"Charities' financials are just as complicated as those of a corporation, if not more," says Laurie Styron, an analyst with the nonprofit watchdog service CharityWatch, based in Chicago. "Be careful as a layman of reading too much into these." It's important to do financial checks, Ms. Styron says, but when in doubt, she advises donating to a charity that has a good reputation.
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Salt Lake Tribune | NBA player charities often a losing game - Utah Local News
President Bush, in fact, saluted Mutombo in his 2007 State of the Union address as an example of ''heroic kindness, courage and self-sacrifice'' for helping to build the first new hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mutombo's homeland, in 40 years. But even as celebrity involvement can bring notoriety and cash to a cause that might otherwise languish, it also can give donors a false sense of security, said Laurie Styron of the American Institute of Philanthropy. Superstars whose charities have stumbled include Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan, whose foundation closed in 1996 after criticism over administrative costs and the hiring of his sister as executive director. L.A. Laker Kobe Bryant has dissolved at least one charity as well.
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Getting Ahead by Giving Back | Physicians Practice
There’s no question, philanthropy is a win-win for small businesses, says Laurie Styron, an analyst. “Coming together collectively to contribute donations or volunteer time toward a common cause can help to build a sense of camaraderie and common purpose among employees,” she says.You’ll get better employee buy-in, of course, if you look for a cause that your staff can rally around. Better yet, make them part of the process. Styron suggests holding a staff meeting to solicit input. “Be sure to give each employee an equal voice in choosing which cause or charity to support, as people are more likely to participate if they feel they have participated in the decision making process,” she says. “It’s equally important to be considerate of your employees’ privacy, as well as their time or financial limitations by not making public the amount each person contributes. This will help to make the act of giving together a positive experience rather than a stressful or divisive one.” “You need to make sure you go beyond just selecting a cause,” says Styron. “There may be 100 groups working toward cures for cancer, but it doesn’t mean they’re good at it.” Some spend only 10 percent of what they collect on their actual program, she says.
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Chicago Tribune | When you buy or think pink, know where your green is going
"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.
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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.
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San Diego Union Tribune
No law requires fund-raisers to give a specific amount of the money they raise to charity, and unscrupulous ones will keep the lion's share. Next, make sure you get the charity's exact name. "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.
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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.
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Sacramento Bee: Amid Komen group controversy, registration drops for Sacramento's Race for the Cure
What the fallout will be in the long term is still to be determined, said one official with a charity watchdog organization. "It will be interesting to see if and by how much their revenue goes down in future years as a result of this," said Laurie Styron, an analyst with CharityWatch. "They put themselves in a difficult position and have alienated people on both sides of the abortion issue."
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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.
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Measuring a Non-Profit's Profitability — Styron Consulting
Before you can measure the financial performance of any type of organization you have to determine and define what it is you are trying to achieve. A for-profit company's goal is to maximize profit for its owners. A non-profit's goal is to achieve its charitable mission. These are vastly different goals, so it stands to reason that a financial measurement that is used to measure the performance of a for-profit company cannot be applied to a non-profit organization in exactly the same way. The math is often similar. The interpretation and application of the outcome data is different.
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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."
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The Nine Most Mismanaged Charities In America - 24/7 Wall ...
Though most non-profits are run by responsible managements and boards of directors, a select few are not. One way that these organizations get tripped up is because of nepotism. Though having family members working in the same organization is not necessarily a bad thing, it can be a warning sign. “It’s definitely a red flag” says AIP analyst Laurie Styron in an interview. “It crowds out the best available people from landing jobs based on their merits. It promotes a lack of oversight.”
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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.
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VIDEO | 10 News Investigators: Veterans Support Organization (VSO) not helping many veterans | wtsp.com
VIDEO: "The charity is reporting zero fundraising expenses," noted the AIP's Laurie Styron. "The charity is claiming that expenses like $151,300 in 'solicitation location fees,' $1,747,010 in 'solicitor pay and payroll taxes,' and $84,785 in 'solicitors travel' expenses are somehow related to its programs. Veterans Support Organization, charitable giving
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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.”
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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."
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Ditka Charity Folds - KTTC Rochester, Austin, Mason City News, Weather and Sports
"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 of the American Institute of Philanthropy. 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."
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Giving Guidance — Styron Consulting
Too often we give to charity reactively rather than proactively. We don't seek out the most financially efficient charity with the absolute best, most effective programs, research its mission and and activities to ensure its goals and values are in ...
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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."
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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.
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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."
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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.
- Giving With Purpose & A Pickled Pod – Jill Blakeway