Laurie Styron's Links:

• Controversy Surrounds Planet Aid Organization’s Collection Boxes | Pittsburgh News

  “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.

• ‘CHARITIES’ LOOK LIKE PARODIES | New York Post

  “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 CharityWatch analyst Laurie Styron. Charities, charitable giving, advice for donors

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• CNN Money | Doomsday church: Still open for business

  "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.

• 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.”

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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."

• VIDEO - How much cash goes to help veterans? - FOX 13 News

  VIDEO: "This is a charity that is essentially a one-man operation from a governance perspective," says Laurie Styron, an analyst with the American Institute of Philanthropy." What should be a very big red flag for donors is that there are some discrepancies with what the charity reports on its website and what the charities financial reporting tells us," she said.

• 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.

• 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."

• 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."

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Reaching out: Companies find that charity is good business - Las Cruces Sun-News

  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. LAS CRUCES

• 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.

• 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.

• 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."

• For Donors — Styron Consulting

  Laurie Styron links to web sites of interest to donors seeking information about charities.

• 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,...

• 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 ...

• 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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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."

• 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.

• 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?"

• Norton - Safe Volunteerism and Charity Online | Your Security ...

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

• 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."

• 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."

• "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.

• Proactive charitable giving | Erickson Tribune

  In fact, Laurie Styron, an analyst with the Chicago-based American Institute of Philanthropy, says to be wary of charities that claim to spend 90% or more of donations on programming. That could be an indication that the group is bending the rules to include fundraising which has a small educational component such as programming. That is just semantics, Styron says. There is no way to raise money without spending some. Styron also cautions people to watch out for charities that use high-pressure techniques or try to convince you to donate this year by claiming that you gave last year. Perhaps you have written a check in the past, but some unethical groups could be relying on you not remembering whether you ve donated to compel you to give for the first time. If you re not familiar with the group, check your records and do your homework before you make a donation.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.”

• 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

• 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 ...

• 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.

• 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

• 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

• 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.

• 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 ...

• 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.”

• For Charities — Styron Consulting

  Laurie Styron links to web sites of interest to charities.

• 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.

• 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."

• 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.

• Laurie Styron - Chicago, Illinois, CharityWatch , Northeastern

  Executive Director in Chicago, Illinois ... Laurie Styron was appointed Executive Director of CharityWatch in 2020 after more than sixteen years of commitment to ...

• 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."

• 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."

• 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.

• 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.

• 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."

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.”

• Huffington Post | American Institute of Philanthropy Gives Charities Failing Grades

  "A lot of donors assume that if a charity files with the IRS then that means the charity is legitimate," said AIP analyst Laurie Styron. "But that doesn't mean someone has rigorously checked out the charity and determined your donation will be spent the way you intend." Most charities are regulated at the state level. There are no minimums on what they must spend on programs nor legal limits on how much they may spend to raise money.But some groups that claim to spend a hefty chunk on "programs" may use a different definition than donors. Those pre-printed address labels and note cards that regularly come in the mail to play on your guilt to send back a check? If the fundraising pitch contains a reminder to get a breast exam or gives a statistic about homeless veterans, the group could call that part of its "educational program," Styron noted. "Most donors would be shocked if they knew that the same charity telling you we spend 90 percent on programs was really using most of your money just to send more direct mail to you," she said.

• 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.

• The Sacramento Bee | sacbee.com

  "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." KOMEN, cancer charity, charitable giving, donating to charities

• 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.

• 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."

• 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."

• 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.

• 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...

• 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.

• 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."

• 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 ...

• 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.

• 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.

• The Denver Post | Players' foundations make, miss attempts

  But even as celebrity involvement can bring fame 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 former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan, whose foundation closed in 1996 after criticism over administrative costs and the hiring of his sister as executive director. L.A. Lakers Kobe Bryant has dissolved at least one charity as well.

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  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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• 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.”

• 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.

• 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

• 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.

• Check-a-Charity — Styron Consulting

  "Retain Laurie Styron for general consulting about your charitable giving decisions or engage her for one-time consulting about a specific organization you are considering supporting. If you are passionate about certain causes but need assistance identifying specific charities working efficiently and effectively in those causes, Laurie Styron can help"

• Nonprofit Imperative : Too Few Charity Regulators

  “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. In 2008, $728,000 went to professional fundraisers and $164,000 went to Defeat Diabetes.

• 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.

• Personal Statement — Styron Consulting

  "Knowing that accounting goes beyond memorizing rules is important when implementing internal controls, choosing and applying accounting methods, and compiling financial statements. However, understanding the language of accounting is absolutely critical when analyzing the financial reporting of others. Things are not always as they appear."

• 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

• Deciding on Donations

  However, Laurie Styron, an analyst with the American Institute of Philanthropy, Chicago, Ill., says having a tax form is not an endorsement of a charity. The tax form just proves the organization filed a form with the IRS. "There’s a big difference between a legitimate charity and a charity that’s operating efficiently. A charity could be completely legitimate, but they could be spending your money inefficiently," she says. "What’s more important is what the charity is doing in relation to the amount of money you’re giving them."

• NewsOK | Oklahoma law enforcement charities pay thousands to ...

  "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.

• 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."

• 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.”

• 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 ...

• 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."

• 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."

• Laurie Styron | LinkedIn

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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.