It’s been a month since we launched our series America’s Worst Charities. There has been some action and calls for change, which we detailed in a story here and here.

And there has been a fair amount of debate and discussion about the series. 

Here’s a sample of what others are saying:

News outlets

Nonprofit industry

  • Two trade groups have responded. The Association of Fundraising Professionals criticized the series for focusing on organizations that are “extreme cases.” The Direct Marketing Association Nonprofit Federation issued its first-ever set of fundraising guidelines.
  • Guidestar, Charity Navigator and the Better Business Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance launched a campaign to encourage donors to examine factors beyond fundraising and administrative costs when evaluating charities. They stressed that overhead “can be a valid data point for rooting out fraud and poor financial management” in their letter.
  • Roger Craver, a direct mail consultant, called on the industry to hold the organizations highlighted in the series accountable.

We’ll keep this simple, aggregated list updated from time to time.

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Kendall Taggart is a former data reporter at The Center for Investigative Reporting. Her recent project, America's Worst Charities, exposed systemic weaknesses in state and federal oversight of nonprofits. The series, produced in collaboration with the Tampa Bay Times, won the Barlett & Steele Award gold prize. Kendall also was part of the reporting team that uncovered flaws in the way school regulators in California inspect and certify public schools to ensure they are seismically safe. That series, On Shaky Ground, won the public service award from Scripps Howard and two awards from Investigative Reporters & Editors. Kendall is a Massachusetts native and graduate of Reed College. She has lived and worked in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Trujillo, Peru.