Scrooge Brings Awareness of Local Charities

By Nathan Hansen                                                                                  
Contributing Writer

Just after Thanksgiving, Richard Kodadek wrote the Fargo Forum about a group that he called “beggars.”  He was talking about the Salvation Army and how much he disliked the volunteers ringing their bells and accepting donations outside local establishments.  His letter to the editor raised the ire of many who believe that the Salvation Army is doing good work, and sparked a dialogue that is ongoing.

But how are charities faring today, with the economy doing poorly, and prices a little higher than they were last year? 

It is bad enough that the poor economy results in charities receiving fewer donations, especially at this time of the year when people are suffering the most. But doing a little research, one can find that many non-profits and charities in Moorhead and Fargo are struggling, and some are not in compliance with the rules and regulations governing non-profit organizations.

In order to accept charitable donations, a non-profit has to keep up with its paperwork and stay registered with the proper state agencies.  If not, the non-profit can be shut down, as with ACORN nationally; and more recently with a local Liberian non-profit group, which the Attorney General pursued vigorously and resulted in the demolishing of the non-profit and imprisonment of the leaders for their non-compliance.

To comply with state law, non-profits or charities must register with the Attorney General of the state and disclose financial records for the previous twelve months and pay a $25 registration fee.  Each year, the registered organization must file financial statements with the Attorney General’s office.

Non-compliance is not a trivial thing, and charities asking for donations or support need their paperwork completed and turned in now. They cannot receive donations even if they are currently working on their documentation.  This is to protect the public from fraud and to protect the reputation of non-profit organizations from less-savory organizations.

Here are some examples of non-profits in Moorhead that appear to be noncompliant or have ceased being a non-profit; they are listed by the Attorney General as withdrawn and therefore cannot receive or solicit charitable donations: 1 Corinthians 3:11 Foundation, Inc., Alliance for African Assistance – MN, Camp Fire USA Northern Star Council, and the Crystal Sweet Heart Foundation.

Similarly, some Fargo non-profits and charitable groups that have not kept up on their paperwork or ceased being charitable groups include the Alex Stern Family Foundation, Angels of Courage Retreats, Inc., Cullen Children’s Foundation, Inc., and the Fargo Marathon, Inc.

To look up a charitable organization to see if it is in compliance with state law one can go to http://www.ag.state.mn.us/Charities/CharitySearch.asp.  If the charity is not listed there or is listed as withdrawn, then the non-profit is not in compliance with state law and is not legally allowed to accept charitable donations.

Exempt or Active charities have their paperwork and registration in order and would love to see you donate your time and/or money in order to make the Holidays a little brighter in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

Questions and comments: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)