[QUOTE]
Tom M wrote
KC,
So we can count you in for a hundred?
I don't know if you've clicked his link yet, but it does seem to be a great charity.
We really need to post this separate.
Tom
[/QUOTE]
Humm Post #500.
Guess I'll start by saying, Joe come on. You go to Vegas, whatever happened we will never know, and then come up with an idea for all of us get you a haircut. That it all it is Joe, a haircut. I would have expected you to go out and pick up cans on the side of the road, since aluminum is so high..and pay for your cut.... but no... you come up with a scheme to get your hair cut. Just kiddin Joe, Andy don't ask questions.. I had to include Joe in post #500
Tom I can't give to this charity, I do things that don't involve someone making a high salary, I give CASH directly to people in need, pure and simple. he is a little more info on smiletrain. It does a worthy service, no doubt.
http://www.charitywatch.org/article...train.html
http://charityreports.give.org/Publ...rityID=644
What to Consider in Smile Train's Solicitations
- published in the August 2005 issue of the Charity Rating Guide & Watchdog Report
100% of your donation will go towards our free treatment programs,
0% will go towards overhead.
Many AIP members have seen the above language in solicitations from Smile Train, a charity that treats children born with cleft lip and palate. One may wonder how a group that spends about $45 to raise $100 (AIP recommends no more than $35 to raise $100), spends about $7.4 million or 30% of its cash budget on overhead, and receives a C+ from AIP, can make such a claim.
A note to Smile Train’s 2004 financial statement reports that some board members and others previously made donations specifically to cover overhead “so that all contributions received from the general public may be used for Smile Train’s treatment program.”
The problem with this reasoning is that any charity could ask a portion of their loyal supporters to use their donations to cover overhead. But overhead expenses will not disappear! Money is fungible, regardless of its source; what is spent on one function is not available for another function.
Smile Train’s 2004 audit shows that 99% of its $39.8 million fund balance is unrestricted. This means that Smile Train does have discretion to spend just about all of its reserves on programs and does not have to hang on to these funds for future overhead costs.
Bottom Line: More of Smile Train’s total donations could go towards treating children with cleft palates if the charity was operating more efficiently, regardless of whether or not some donors earmarked their donations for overhead.