Huh?
Above the law: America's worst charities
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- A year-long investigation identified America's 50 worst charities
- At the top of the list is Kids Wish Network, which gave nearly $110m to corporate solicitors
- This charity, like many others on the list, mimic well-known charity names that fool donors
- The data show the worst charities devote less than 4% of donations to direct cash aid
The 50 worst, ranked by money blown on soliciting costs
Totals from the latest 10 years of available federal tax filings
| Rank | Charity name | Total raised by solicitors | Paid to solicitors | % spent on direct cash aid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kids Wish Network | $127.8 million | $109.8 million | 2.5% |
| 2 | Cancer Fund of America | $98.0 million | $80.4 million | 0.9% |
| 3 | Children's Wish Foundation International | $96.8 million | $63.6 million | 10.8% |
| 4 | American Breast Cancer Foundation | $80.8 million | $59.8 million | 5.3% |
| 5 | Firefighters Charitable Foundation | $63.8 million | $54.7 million | 8.4% |
| 6 | Breast Cancer Relief Foundation | $63.9 million | $44.8 million | 2.2% |
| 7 | International Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIO | $57.2 million | $41.4 million | 0.5% |
| 8 | National Veterans Service Fund | $70.2 million | $36.9 million | 7.8% |
| 9 | American Association of State Troopers | $45.0 million | $36.0 million | 8.6% |
| 10 | Children's Cancer Fund of America | $37.5 million | $29.2 million | 5.3% |
| 11 | Children's Cancer Recovery Foundation | $34.7 million | $27.6 million | 0.6% |
| 12 | Youth Development Fund | $29.7 million | $24.5 million | 0.8% |
| 13 | Committee For Missing Children | $26.9 million | $23.8 million | 0.8% |
| 14 | Association for Firefighters and Paramedics | $23.2 million | $20.8 million | 3.1% |
| 15 | Project Cure (Bradenton, FL) | $51.5 million | $20.4 million | 0.0% |
| 16 | National Caregiving Foundation | $22.3 million | $18.1 million | 3.5% |
| 17 | Operation Lookout National Center for Missing Youth | $19.6 million | $16.1 million | 0.0% |
| 18 | United States Deputy Sheriffs' Association | $23.1 million | $15.9 million | 0.6% |
| 19 | Vietnow National Headquarters | $18.1 million | $15.9 million | 2.9% |
| 20 | Police Protective Fund | $34.9 million | $14.8 million | 0.8% |
| 21 | National Cancer Coalition | $41.5 million | $14.0 million | 1.1% |
| 22 | Woman To Woman Breast Cancer Foundation | $14.5 million | $13.7 million | 0.4% |
| 23 | American Foundation For Disabled Children | $16.4 million | $13.4 million | 0.8% |
| 24 | The Veterans Fund | $15.7 million | $12.9 million | 2.3% |
| 25 | Heart Support of America | $33.0 million | $11.0 million | 3.4% |
| 26 | Veterans Assistance Foundation | $12.2 million | $11.0 million | 10.5% |
| 27 | Children's Charity Fund | $14.3 million | $10.5 million | 2.3% |
| 28 | Wishing Well Foundation USA | $12.4 million | $9.8 million | 4.6% |
| 29 | Defeat Diabetes Foundation | $13.8 million | $8.3 million | 0.1% |
| 30 | Disabled Police Officers of America Inc. | $10.3 million | $8.1 million | 2.5% |
| 31 | National Police Defense Foundation | $9.9 million | $7.8 million | 5.8% |
| 32 | American Association of the Deaf & Blind | $10.3 million | $7.8 million | 0.1% |
| 33 | Reserve Police Officers Association | $8.7 million | $7.7 million | 1.1% |
| 34 | Optimal Medical Foundation | $7.9 million | $7.6 million | 1.0% |
| 35 | Disabled Police and Sheriffs Foundation | $9.0 million | $7.6 million | 1.0% |
| 36 | Disabled Police Officers Counseling Center | $8.2 million | $6.9 million | 0.1% |
| 37 | Children's Leukemia Research Association | $9.8 million | $6.8 million | 11.1% |
| 38 | United Breast Cancer Foundation | $11.6 million | $6.6 million | 6.3% |
| 39 | Shiloh International Ministries | $8.0 million | $6.2 million | 1.3% |
| 40 | Circle of Friends For American Veterans | $7.8 million | $5.7 million | 6.5% |
| 41 | Find the Children | $7.6 million | $5.0 million | 5.7% |
| 42 | Survivors and Victims Empowered | $7.7 million | $4.8 million | 0.0% |
| 43 | Firefighters Assistance Fund | $5.6 million | $4.6 million | 3.2% |
| 44 | Caring for Our Children Foundation | $4.7 million | $4.1 million | 1.6% |
| 45 | National Narcotic Officers Associations Coalition | $4.8 million | $4.0 million | 0.0% |
| 46 | American Foundation for Children With Aids | $5.2 million | $3.0 million | 0.0% |
| 47 | Our American Veterans | $2.6 million | $2.3 million | 2.3% |
| 48 | Roger Wyburn-Mason & Jack M Blount Foundation For Eradication of Rheumatoid Disease | $8.4 million | $1.8 million | 0.0% |
| 49 | Firefighters Burn Fund | $2.0 million | $1.7 million | 1.5% |
| 50 | Hope Cancer Fund | $1.9 million | $1.6 million | 0.5% |
Read full investigative story with multiple videos and sidebar stories.
Phi Beta Iota:Ā This is why we need a Global to Local Range of Gifts Table.
See Also:
2011 Peace from Above: Envisioning the Future of UN Air Power
2009 Briefing: Open Everything at UNICEF in NYC
Graphic: Global Range of Nano-Needs
