Children’s Charities Warn Givers Against False Claims

Five county children’s charities have banded together to send a holiday message to Good Samaritans everywhere:

‘Tis the season to be wary when digging deep for a charitable donation, especially when a plea for money comes over the telephone.

The charities--Childrens Hospital of Orange County, Fairview Developmental Center, Make-A-Wish-Foundation of Orange County, Orangewood Children’s Foundation and the Adam Walsh Child Resource Center--have formed a consortium called Charities for Truth in Giving to work against what they call “charitable misrepresentation.”

The groups are frequently cited by telephone solicitors, who use their names without authorization to raise money--charity dollars that the groups never see. They call businesses and homes asking for contributions to help stage shows for sick or abused children or to buy tickets to send the children to athletic events. A messenger is sent within a day to pick up donations.

Misrepresentation Claimed

Charity spokesmen say that sometimes solicitors make false or misleading statements, do not disclose, even on request, how much of donations actually goes to charity, and misrepresent legitimate charities that have no connection with them.

In an effort to protect their organizations’ names from being used in such solicitation, the groups said they will no longer accept tickets for sporting or entertainment events from telephone solicitors without authorization.

And they are warning the public to think twice--and ask lots of questions--when a telephone solicitor calls for donations. The most important advice, they said, is: Don’t give any caller a cent until you confirm that the charity is legitimate.

“Orange Countians are so inundated with these requests--at least, Orange Countians with money,” said Maureen Williams, CHOC spokeswoman and head of the new group.