Where Most Needed

WSJ Slams CVS Charity Golf Classic

An investigative report suggests that the high-profile charity event, a favorite of its golf-addicted CEO Thomas Ryan, provides a way for suppliers to skirt ethics rules against expensive favors to company employees.  Meanwhile, the charity itself spends most of its income putting on the event rather than giving.

Jerry Lewis & Don Imus: The Downside of Charity-Celebrity Co-Dependency

Hitching a charity's reputation to a single individual is a high-risk strategy that pays off—until it doesn't.

Diversity in Funding Sources More Talked About Than Practiced

A study of more than fifty organizations in Baltimore with income from $1 million to $50 million shows that close to 90% rely on just one line on the Form 990 for more than half their income.  Even more notable: the lion's share of private contributions go to organizations that make private contributions their primary source of income.

National Night Out Founder Thinks He's Worth a Quarter Million

About a third of the organization's budget goes to pay the president's salary, approved by a five-person board that includes his brother.   And we track down the source of its funding. 

Blogathon Demonstrates Long Tail (Up to a Point)

Shared vision is largely absent from a twenty-four-hour blogging event to raise money for charity, which could be why it wasn't more successful.  And the winner was online editor for a newspaper in Midland, Texas, who blogged from a 30-foot Genie scissors lift in a grocery store parking lot (isn't that cheating?)

AT&T Classic: Charities Lost in the Rough

Federal filings leave doubts about how much charities benefit from this PGA tour golf tournament. 

Bowling and Poetry Top List of Efficient Fundraisers for UNCF

Unfortunately, they don't raise very much money.  Less efficient fundraising events like walkathons and galas yield tons more cash. 

Jock Philanthropy Sports Few Superstars

The Wall Street Journal surveys charities started by professional athletes and finds a mixed bag of programs and effectiveness.

Disgruntled Son Blows Whistle on Mom's Favorite Charity

A gossip columnist fills in some details about a messy family feud in Florida involving the heirs of the founder of the National Enquirer. 

Smithsonian: Butterflies are Expensive

The board of regents approves an admission fee for the new Butterfly Pavillion, with a planned opening in November.