A TIMES INVESTIGATION WITH CIR AND CNN
DIRTY SECRETS OF THE WORST CHARITIES
The 50 worst have raised more than $1 billion in the past 10 years, but only a fraction went to anyone other than the charities’ operators and professional solicitors.
AMERICA'S WORST CHARITIES
Use our interactive database to see who really benefits from the 50 worst charities in America.
CHARITIES IN TROUBLE
Explore our one-of-a-kind national database of charities that have been cited by state regulators.
REPORT A CHARITY
Have you received a solicitation from a questionable charity? Fill out our online form and we’ll investigate.
JUNE 7: A FAILURE OF REGULATION
Unscrupulous operators collect hundreds of millions of dollars each year while fooling donors. When they get caught, they have little to fear even if regulators try to shut them down.
JUNE 13: THE REYNOLDS FAMILY EMPIRE
Operating in multiple states, one family has created a lucrative network of bad charities. In a recent year, family members took nearly $1 million in salaries while giving away a pittance in cash.
"America's Worst Charities" is the result of a yearlong collaboration between the Tampa Bay Times and California-based The Center for Investigative Reporting, the nation's largest and longest serving nonprofit newsroom dedicated to watchdog journalism. CNN joined the partnership in March.
ABOUT THIS SPECIAL REPORT
Across the nation, hundreds of charities take your donations in the name of cancer patients, dying children and homeless veterans. But the real beneficiaries are the charity founders themselves and the for-profit companies they pay to run boiler rooms that dial for dollars. To tell the stories of America’s worst charities, reporters reviewed thousands of charities and charted their finances going back a decade. These charities use deception, and in some cases outright lies, to persuade donors to give. Then they spend as much as 90 cents of every dollar raised to generate more donations. Regulators have proven powerless to stop the cycle of waste and deceit.
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