Interesting video on Susan G Koman foundation

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4. All these charities are out of whack

I used to fundraise for the ACS. We were a small collection of groups that would raise nickles and dimes for ACS and pool the money and give to them in a lump sum. Over 3 years we collected almost 2 million dollars. We spent our own time and money raising this amount and were very proud. Then I read this:

"John R. Seffrin, former CEO of the American Cancer Society, received $2,401,112 salary/compensation from the charity for the 2009-2010 fiscal year.[15] This is the second most money given by any charity to the head of that charity, according to Charity Watch. The money included $1.5 million in a retention benefit approved in 2001, “to preserve management stability.”[16] Mr. Seffrin's compensation for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2012 was $832,355."

I realized we spent 3 years raising money for one year of a corporate CEO's salary. That was the last time I will ever get involved in one of those corporate charities again.

Most don't realize that the fundraising junk you get in the mail and on the phone is some marketing company making 50% or more on every dollar you give to the charity they claim to be. The argument I always hear is "but they wouldn't get anything at all otherwise" to which I say, "Good, they don't deserve it if they aren't an honest charity."

The paradigm needs to change before I'll ever get involved again. Personal greed took over long ago.