Laurie Styron's Links:

• 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

• Lancaster Online | Check before you chuck: tips on donating clothing - News ...

  "Most charity workers are honest, but the anonymity of placing something in a bin without getting a receipt presents an ideal opportunity for theft," Styron said. Charities, charitable giving, advice for donors

• Troy Aikman funds sit unused | Dallas Morning News

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

• 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 ...

• 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.”

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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

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

• 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

• Media — Styron Consulting

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

• 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.

• 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"

• Laurie Styron
• Giving Back | Live Fit and Sore

  “As long as direct mail includes some kind of ‘education,’ then they think they can count that as one of their programs,” says Laurie Styron, an analyst who combs through the finances of charities to separate fundraising from programs.

• 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.

• 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

• 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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.”

• 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."

• Laurie Styron - Chicago, Illinois, CharityWatch , Northeastern

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

• 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 ...

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

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

• 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.

• Charitable Giving: How Is Your Money Being Spent?

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

• 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.

• 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."

• NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams - Giving in Haiti

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

• 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

• 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."

• 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.”

• 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 ...

• 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.

• Styron Consulting, LLC

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

• 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.

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

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

• 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.

• 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 ...

• 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.

• "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.

• For Grantmakers — Styron Consulting

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

• 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.”

• 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.

• 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.”

• 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.

• 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 ...

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

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

• 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.”

• 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

• 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."

• 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.

• 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."

• 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.

• 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."

• 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.”

• 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.

• 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.

• Funds for Oklahoma charities go in part to fundraisers | News OK

  "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.”Styron said many telemarketing campaigns rely on donors not knowing who is calling, where they are calling from and how much of the donors' money is going to the telemarketing companies.

• 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.

• '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.

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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.

• 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."

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

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

• 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.

• 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."

• Our View: Don't judge a book | Craig Daily Press

  "Charity finance can be confusing, and the reporting rules and laws governing it leave a lot to be desired," said Laurie Styron, an analyst.

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

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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Donor Beware: Hate Group Non-Profits Often Have Innocuous Sounding Names — Styron Consulting

  The lesson for donors is to never judge a charity based on its name alone. In this way you can avoid making a donation to a charity that is highly inefficient or whose mission and programs are not in line with your values. Just because a charity has the word "veterans," or "children" or "cancer" in its name does not guarantee that even one penny of your donation will actually be used to help veterans, children, or people with cancer.

• SEIU faces allegations it spent nothing on the charity it created - Environment - DailyTidings.com - Ashland, OR

  Laurie Styron, vice president of the American Institute of Philanthropy, said the nonprofit should be more forthcoming. "Charities have an ethical obligation to be transparent," 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.

• Wall Street Journal
• 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.

• 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.

• 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."

• 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.”

• 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

• 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.

• 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."

• 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."

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

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

• 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...

• Styron Consulting

  Laurie Styron closed Styron Consulting in early 2020 and has not offered services since that time. She is now CEO and Executive Director of CharityWatch, ...

• 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.

• Kiplinger - 7 Ways to Check Out a Charity

  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.”

• Giving With Purpose & A Pickled Pod – Jill Blakeway
• 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.

• 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

• 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."

• Greg Mortenson - 60 Minutes Videos - CBS News

  Non-Profit Financial Analyst Laurie Styron consulted for 60 Minutes investigation into Greg Mortenson's charity, Central Asia Institute. Steve Kroft investigates Produced by Andy Court, Kevin Livelli and Maria Usman. Daniel Borochoff and Jon Krakauer interviewed. Books: Three Cups of Tea & Stones into Schools.

• 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."