WARNING:The Wheelchair Recycler

"The Wheelchair Recycler's mission is "to provide any means necessary to mobilize those in need. This is accomplished through recycling, refurbishing, and reclaiming used electric power wheelchairs and scooters as well as other durable medical equipment."
Founded in 1998, by David Heim and based in Massachusetts, the organization has to date given away over 500 power chairs and repaired hundreds more. In many cases they've saved hundreds of individuals from being bed-ridden. Most who receive the chairs are on fixed income and lacking adequate insurance.
The organization's long term goal is to set up The Wheelchair Recycler nationwide. In order to do that, their short term goal is to obtain the necessary funding to help support daily operations- such as transportation, office equipment, utilities, and phones.
For more information on The Wheelchair Recycler, please visit their website."

This feature was published March 12, 2009. During NA's hiatus the feature received a comment from a (very helpful) tipster that all was not right with this organization. When the site resumed, I responded with the proper steps one would take if they suspected foul-play at a nonprofit organization:

• Go to the leadership. If the problem is the Executive Director, then speak to someone at the Board of Directors level. If that's an issue? Nonprofits ultimately answer to their state's Attorney General. 

But I didn't stop there. Revisiting The Wheelchair Recycler website, there is no list for Board of Directors,  nor any other information that would legitimize this organization as a not-for-profit. The site does claim The Wheelchair Recycler is a 501(c)3 with a faulty link to GuideStar in the donations section. Looking up the organization on GuideStar you'll see The Wheelchair Recycler's tax-exempt status has been revoked, for not filing the required 990 Form three years in a row.

So what does this mean? The Wheelchair Recycler is not a non-profit organizations. Your donations are not tax deductible, and no agency is endorsing it. If this business is operating as a for-profit, there is no way to prove it's operating legally. 

The 'In the News' section does feature articles from some top news and entertainment organizations; however, when I clicked on the top story from the Nightly News with Brian Williams, The Wheelchair Recycler story had been removed. And so it appears this is an example of an organization that at one time maybe have been operating on the up and up, it is no longer doing so.

I have reached out to The Wheelchair Recycler via email, inquiring about its non-profit status and some other documents nonprofit organizations must make available to the public. I will make available any response I receive.

I had debated simply removing the original post, but ultimately decided that it was important to address this. The Wheelchair Recycler is not the first non-profit organization to be misappropriating funds, or operating outside nonprofit laws, and it unfortunately probably won't be the last. Not to mention all the schemes designed to look like charities designed to take advantage of sympathetic individuals.

And so, I present this as a learning opportunity. Be sure to do your due diligence before donating to an organization.

• Look at their profile on GuideStar
• Look at CharityNavigator 
• Look at their documents

Nonprofits have to make public their annual 990s, board of directors and meeting minutes. Typically you would need to request meeting minutes, but they are open to public view. Some organizations produce annual reports or additional materials for transparency. 

Sunday begins Foundation Week at Nonprofit Awareness, I strongly encourage you to visit each foundation's website. There you'll find fantastic examples of accountability and transparency. These organizations really exemplify the type of information you should be looking for when  considering a donation.

Better World Books

Better World Books (BWB) was founded in 2002 by three college friends who started selling textbooks online to make money and ended up forming a pioneering social enterprise- a business with a mission to promote literacy. They believe education and access to books are basic human rights. BWB uses the power of business to change the world. They collect and sell books online to donate books and fund literacy initiatives worldwide. There are over 8 million new and used titles to purchase.

All books are shipped free, and in case you're concerned about your eco-footprint, every order shipped is carbon balanced with Green-e Climate certified offsets from 3Degrees, a leading green power and carbon balancing services firm.

Impact:

To date BWB has:

• donated over 7,048,615 books
• raised $13,446,219.11 for literacy and libraries
• reused/recycled 97,959,917 books

So far, 58 million books have been converted into $10.4 million in funding, and over 40,000 tons of books have been saved from landfills. Books are collected through a network of 2,300 college campuses and 3,000 libraries.

Programs:

• Book for Book - for every book purchased, BWB donates a book to someone in need. 

• LEAP (Literacy & Education in Action Program) - funds literacy and educational nonprofits and libraries for specific projects- the frontline of the fight to reduce global poverty through education. Several times a year, BWB invites literacy-focused organizations to apply for grants to support high-impact literacy projects. Then BWB selects the projects they feel "have the biggest bang for the buck." Projects are funded through BWB's General Literacy Fund, which means they make grants in addition to the regular stream of revenue earmarked for libraries and their nonprofit partners.

• Donations - BWB sells new and used books, so you can donate your books (via one of their drop boxes or mail) and they will be sold online to help raise funds for nonprofit literacy organizations.

Partners:

BWB's four primary literacy partners:

• Books for Africa
• Room to Read
• Worldfund
• National Center for Family Literacy

I urge you to visit Better World Books' website to review their mission and values, read about their impact and buy some books! (They even have gift certificates).

Welcome to Nonprofit Awareness 2.0

Welcome to the next chapter of Nonprofit Awareness. After what has been a long hiatus, the site is back and better than ever. And to reflect this renewed commitment to the non-profit sector and its activities, Nonprofit Awareness has become Non-Profits Now.

It's my goal for this site to serve as a resource for non-profit professionals, donors, volunteers, and anyone interested in making a difference. As you borrow the site, you'll be able to explore various charities, and receive the latest news coming out of the non-profit community. There are plenty of opportunities to get involved, and the resources needed to make informed contributions.

Previous features will remain in the archive for your review. Keep checking throughout the week as more content is added to the site, and be sure to look out for the official site launch next Monday, October 18th.

Email for inquires and submissions.

New Eyes for the Needy

New Eyes for the Needy (New Eyes) purchases new eyeglasses for poor children and adults in the United States and recycles donated glasses for distribution to indigent people in developing nations worldwide.

Founded in 1932, the organization's mission is simple: "to improve the vision of poor children and adults." To date the organization has brought improved vision to over 7 million people. For about $60, New Eyes can improve a person's life by providing them with a new pair of glasses.

The organization, located in New Jersey, is run primary by volunteers. They are a United Way organization, endorsed by:

• The National Society for the Prevention of Blindness
• Fight for Sight
• The American Academy of Ophthalmology 
• The Opticians Association of America

New Eyes is a reminder that little can do so much for those in need. The site, like this feature, is direct and to the point. The need for eyeglasses for those living in poverty can easily be overlooked, or may seem like the least of a child or adult's problems. However, the opportunity these glasses provide can have a profound effect. Reading, working, and many other tasks are performed better by having improved vision. These tools are vital to helping those living in poverty take the first steps out of poverty.

For more information please visit the New Eyes for the Needy website.

What's Your Status?

This week we're looking at businesses who've gotten in on philanthropy- in some big ways. Though they're not nonprofit organizations, they spend considerable time, talent, and money to help further the causes they believe in. These companies show that you don't have to be a nonprofit to do good. We've chose this week's businesses based on their commitment to creating a better world, and because one way to fulfill our own role as socially conscious citizens is to support the companies whose initiatives help improve our world.

You'll see a range of companies, including businesses who operate to provide resources and support to nonprofit organizations and companies who donate proceeds from the sale of their products to humanitarian causes. This week's features show just a few ways nonprofits benefit from for-profit companies.

Today's Feature: The Biddery

The Biddery specializes in 501(c)3 donation procurement for silent and live actions, raffles and opportunity drawings. They work exclusively with nonprofits.

Lisa Pisa, President of The Biddery, was kind enough to provide the following information:

"The Biddery was started to non-profits receive high value items for their fundraising efforts such as silent and live auctions and raffles. We found that many charities have such limited resources such as staff and time, and so were unable to maximize their fundraising potential. That's where we help. We work with well-regarded businesses across the U.S. who donate gift certificates, gift cards or products to the charities we work with. The network of businesses we've established want to donate for many reasons: tax-write offs, attract business and to help causes. Charities take these items and auction or raffle them off, raising money.

There are other companies that get items for charities, but all of them (that I've found) take a commission or the items are consignment in which the charity only receives a small percentage of the sale. For instance I used to manage celebrity meet and greets with people, but often times there was a high fee charged to the charity.

After our flat fee, all the money a charity raises, they keep. The big ticket items are usually hotel stays like a two night stay at a top resort, restaurant gift certificates that often sell for more than their value or fashion/beauty products from high profile designers."

This company is a great resource for nonprofit organizations and another good way for individuals to get involved. Please visit The Biddery's website for more information.