Charities, Donors and Others Encouraged to Offer Comments On Charity Acountability Issues.

Business Editors

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 6, 2000

The Council of Better Business Bureaus' (CBBB) Foundation has issued a "Discussion Document" setting out the major accountability issues to be addressed in the third revision of the CBBB Standards for Charitable Solicitations.

This document is designed to encourage input from charitable organizations, donors and other constituents of the standards at the beginning of the revision process, prior to the actual drafting of new guidelines.

Copies of the Discussion Document are available on request from CBBB or can be accessed on the Internet at www.bbb.org/pas/standardsdiscussion.asp. Among the issues cited in the Discussion Document are measuring effectiveness (i.e., impact of the charity on its cause), donor privacy, Internet fund raising, accuracy of financial reporting, responsible governance and appropriate use of funds. Commentary received will help determine how the standards will address these issues.

"Given the range and complexity of these issues, we feel it is essential to hear from the organizations most directly affected by the standards. These are voluntary guidelines and we want to ensure that they are not overly burdensome to meet. At the same time, we want to be certain that they meaningfully address the issues of concern to donors. The requested input will greatly assist us in shaping the next generation of standards," stated Bennett Weiner, Vice President and Director of the Philanthropic Advisory Service, CBBB.

The standards revision process is taking place under the direction of a 16-member advisory group representing large and small charities, corporate and foundation donors, Better Business Bureaus, and experts in nonprofit accounting, philanthropic research, state regulation and international solicitation practices. (Standards Review Panel roster appears at the end of the Discussion Document.) The Panel held its plenary meeting in September 1999 and seeks to complete the process in 2001.

The CBBB Standards for Charitable Solicitations serve as the basis for national charity reports produced by the Philanthropic Advisory Service of the CBBB and also by many of the 132 local Better Business Bureaus in their reporting on community-based charities. Comments on the Discussion Document should be addressed to Mr. Weiner, PAS, Council of Better Business Bureaus, 4200 Wilson Blvd., Suite 800, Arlington, VA 22203; via fax: [phone], or via e-mail: [e-mail]. For the convenience of those wishing to provide their comments online, a link to a special Internet comment form can be found at the end of the online Discussion Document at the cited web address.

The Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) is the umbrella organization for 132 Better Business Bureaus (BBB) across the U.S. Through the national memberships of more than 350 leading edge companies and the network of member BBBs, the Council promotes the highest ethical relationship between businesses and the public through voluntary self-regulation, consumer and business education, and service excellence.