Be careful with your change
April 5th, 2008 by admin
Last month, Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers ran a series of articles (read here and here) about “National Animal Medical Care and Birth Control,” a new charity that was collecting donations using coin canisters at hundreds of businesses in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Brevard and Indian River counties. The paper’s investigation discovered that the organization was linked to a former New Jersey resident, Russell Frontera, with a lengthy criminal past. In August 2006, Frontera’s coin canisters were confiscated and he was banned for life from fundraising in New Jersey after state officials determined that very little of the money he was collecting actually went to help animals in need. A few months after being kicked out of New Jersey, Frontera popped-up here in Florida. National Animal Medical Care and Birth Control uses almost identical cans as Frontera used in New Jersey- featuring sad photos of dogs and cats, and a promise that donations will go towards getting dogs spayed and neutered.
After questions were raised about the legitimacy of the organization, businesses on Florida’s east coast removed the donation cans. Unfortunately, according to an article in yesterday’s Highlands Today, the canisters have now appeared at grocery stores, restaurants, drug stores and other businesses in Highlands County.
You Can Help
1. If you spot a National Animal Medical Care and Birth Control donation can, please ask the business owner to take a closer look at the organization. Thank the business for being willing to help charities raise money, but urge them to only help established animal welfare charities in your community.2. Animal welfare organizations depend on your financial support, but before you donate make sure that the organization is legitimate:
- Make sure that the organization is registered with the State of Florida and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
- Ask questions such as, what percentage of contributions received go to support its programs, what percentage is spent on salaries and what percentage is spent on fundraising (charities are considered inefficient if they spend more than a third of their contributions on fundraising).
Legitimate charities will be happy to provide you with this information.