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Charity Navigator released their list of the country's 10 Most Inefficient charitable groups, naming two Orange County groups as some of the best for being worst. The ranking looks at the percentage of money spent versus the amount of money actually put towards supporting the cause, and those listed "spend more than $0.50 to raise each dollar in support, making them four times less efficient than the average charity. This inefficiency forces them to devote more than 40% of their budgets to fundraising, limiting the difference they can make with your dollars." The SoCal culprits in this case are The Association for Police and Sheriffs in Fullerton, and The Association for Firefighters and Paramedics in Santa Ana, who gave 4 and 2 per cent of their monies to their causes, respectively. "That OC is home to potboilers and scammers who prey on the good intentions of others for their own benefit isn’t exactly a shock," adds the OC Register's Watchdog blog. Many unscrupulous charities have bilked Southern California residents out of their money, and tend to prey on the elderly; frequently the monies are raised through telephone solicitation campaigns and rely on the effectiveness of "telemarketers’ pleas for donations to help children, veterans and firefighters."
The Register cautions potential donors to "do some quick and simple research at Charity Navigator and GuideStar," before giving, and to "look for charities that funnel at least 65 percent of their spending to programs." And if you've got the desire to give, but not the cash, consider all the options you have for helping out by donating goods or, most importantly, your time.
