Web site lets donors check charities

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A Web site introduced Wednesday allows Missourians to check how charities spend their money, Attorney General Jay Nixon said.

The site currently lists only about a third of the hundreds of charities that operate in Missouri, but Nixon said he hopes other charities join the effort when they realize consumers are using the site.

"Donors should be confident that their charitable dollars are being used wisely and in the most efficient manner," Nixon said in a news release. "The more information donors have access to, the more confident they're likely to be in their giving."

As of Wednesday, 448 charities were listed on the site, www.ago.mo.gov/checkacharity. Nixon's office said it sent 1,500 letters to charities asking for the information.

Missouri does not require charities to disclose detailed financial information, and most the information on the Web site was given to Nixon's office voluntarily.

"It is positive that the attorney general is asking for more accountability from charities," said Daniel Borochoff, president and founder of the American Institute of Philanthropy, a charity watchdog.

But Borochoff said donors should view the site only as a starting point because most information provided is self-reported

The Better Business Bureau follows national guidelines that require at least 65 percent of a charity's total expenses go toward paying for services. Fund-raising costs should not exceed more than 35 percent of total contributions, according to bureau guidelines.

After accessing the Web site, consumers can search a charity by name or look through an alphabetical list. The site provides information on the charity's administrative costs, program expenses, total expenses and total revenue.

Nixon said the financial information, in most cases, is the same data charities are required to report to the Internal Revenue Service.

"That makes the information verifiable," he said.