NEW YORK (UPI (http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/41784.html)) -- A New York Times investigation published Monday claims just 2 percent of funds Shriners raised in 2005 went to operate their charitable hospitals.

In interviews with current and former members of the Masonic order, the newspaper reported more than 57 percent of the $32 million the group raised in 2005 through circuses, bingo games and raffles went to costs of the fraternity.

''Money raised for the hospitals is being used to pay for parties and liquor and trips and they know it,'' said Johnny Edwards, a former leader of Oasis Shrine in Charlotte, N.C. ''The way I see it, they are stealing from crippled children.''

Well, they do have to pay for those funny hats and go-carts...

It's all for the kids

All but 98% that is

But they do have a circus that my son will love to visit.

Just bought circus tickets this weekend. I thought it was a little weird the shriner I bought them from was wearing a robe, smoking a cigar, and hanging out with 2 hookers.

Almost every charitable organization has skeletons in it's closet. This just shows you that you need to do your homework on a charity before you donate. If anything about them disturbs you, pick another charity.

It is kind of like me and United Way. I will not give to them because they support politcal causes I do not belive should be supported.

Just bought circus tickets this weekend. I thought it was a little weird the shriner I bought them from was wearing a robe, smoking a cigar, and hanging out with 2 hookers.

Don't tell my wife about the cigar, OK?

Made me laugh out loud Tim. LOL Tim, LOL.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b295/Angelicfly/shriner.jpg

Enjoy!

That guy definitely knows how to party.

Isn't there some sort of third-party "watchdog" organization that publishes lists of the "most efficient" charitable organizations periodically? "Efficient" was defined generally as highest percentage of collected dollars going directly to patient (or user) care as opposed to "administrative" costs.

As I recall, the Muscular Dystrophy Association was listed as one of the *most* efficient charities around, very little (relatively speaking) administrative overhead, very "above-board" bookkeeping, stuff like that...seems like there were others that were called out for being exceptionally efficient, just don't remember them..

I have this opposite recollection that things like circus tickets and boiler-room phone solicitations for generic-sounding names like "police benevolent funds" are generally the worst performers...if not outright frauds.....also seem to remember that the thing ol' Sally Struthers used to hawk (The "Christian Children's Fund," as I recall) was an outright scam - they'd say you were "adopting" a starving African child (or some other impoverished region), and they'd periodically send you these tear-inducing letters of thanks form the child.....until 60 Minutes did an expose on them and found out the letters were being written en masse by an elementary school here in the states, and the "child" you were adopting was just a photo in a file drawer that in all likelihood never saw one penny of anything you donated...

Ya just gotta be very careful.

-soonerdave

Isn't there some sort of third-party "watchdog" organization that publishes lists of the "most efficient" charitable organizations periodically? "Efficient" was defined generally as highest percentage of collected dollars going directly to patient (or user) care as opposed to "administrative" costs.

As I recall, the Muscular Dystrophy Association was listed as one of the *most* efficient charities around, very little (relatively speaking) administrative overhead, very "above-board" bookkeeping, stuff like that...seems like there were others that were called out for being exceptionally efficient, just don't remember them..

I have this opposite recollection that things like circus tickets and boiler-room phone solicitations for generic-sounding names like "police benevolent funds" are generally the worst performers...if not outright frauds.....also seem to remember that the thing ol' Sally Struthers used to hawk (The "Christian Children's Fund," as I recall) was an outright scam - they'd say you were "adopting" a starving African child (or some other impoverished region), and they'd periodically send you these tear-inducing letters of thanks form the child.....until 60 Minutes did an expose on them and found out the letters were being written en masse by an elementary school here in the states, and the "child" you were adopting was just a photo in a file drawer that in all likelihood never saw one penny of anything you donated...

Ya just gotta be very careful.

-soonerdave

Exactly the reason most of my donations go to local bars...Call me uncaring (You're uncaring) call me a bad citizen (You're a bad citizen)....But I know exactly what those funds are used for

On tap goodness :tiphat:

Hey man, I just want to take my kid to a circus.

We just got home from the circus and my 2 year old wanted to know why they're wearing fruit snacks on their head.

I wonder if that's where the 98% is?

I just got home from the circus. The Shriners were nice, the performance was good, and watching the kids ride the elephants more than made up for the (low) price of admission.

When I try to give money to charity, I give it to a source that I know will be efficient and help people and support a cause I believe in, etc. This time, though, I didn't care where my money was going- I just wanted to watch people juggle fire. If they happen to give some of my ticket money to the hospital, even better.

Incidentally, I know that there are several different groups that put on Shriners' circuses, but at least this website that I found makes it very clear that your money isn't going to support the hospital:
Tripoli Shrine Circus (http://www.milwaukeecircus.com/).

Yeah, we went to the circus yesterday and it sure was a lot cooler to me when I was a kid. But it's not me that is supposed to like it so thats okay. Next time I'll be sitting in the floor seats so maybe it will be more fun. We spilled a coke on ourselves and had hillbillies directly behind us commenting on every single thing that happened. At least my 4 year old likes it though. The picture buttons with a clown were really cute. I'll probably go again next year. Does Barnum & Bailey still come here?

I always thought the Shriner's organization was more of a social fraternity anyways, kind of like the Lion's Club, Kiwanis, or Rotary Clubs. Maybe I'm wrong.

Isn't there some sort of third-party "watchdog" organization that publishes lists of the "most efficient" charitable organizations periodically? "Efficient" was defined generally as highest percentage of collected dollars going directly to patient (or user) care as opposed to "administrative" costs.
-soonerdave

The local CFC (Combined Federal Campaign) site has a pretty good little tool for that. You can choose, local, national, or international charities. It gives you the efficiency % of each of them. Click here. (http://www.cfc-centralok.org/charitylist.php)

Good stuff, OGtS!

That's exactly the sort of information I look forward to in a place such as this one!

And from one 'newbie' to another, welcome!

Since they are a charitable organization, 80% of their donations HAVE to go to the people they donate for. They can only use 20% for administrative costs and overhead. Sounds like the Attorney General needs to step in and do something about this. Oh, wait, that's Gonzales. Looks like the crippled kids are screwed.

Ever looked at the Shriner's hospital? Any kid, any background, any disease. Treated, no questions asked, no bill. They even won a hotel nearby they let family stay in while the kid is hospitalized.
Say all you will, I'll support the heck out of that.

Problem is dark jedi...Seems they should be helping a lot more kids if they weren't so wasteful and lining their own pockets

Two thoughts:
1.) I personally would not want to be part of a bare-bones organization that gave 100% of the budget to charity and that didn't allow us to have a nice meeting space, or an occasional nice dinner, or a funny hat, or... (Well, maybe not the hat part, but still...) I'd like to give a little something back to the community, but it is my free time and I'd like to enjoy myself as I was doing it.

2.) I think that many, if not most, of the people at the Shrine Circus were there because they knew a Shriner to buy a ticket. My ticket was given to me by somebody who had purchased it because he knew a Shriner and wanted to help the guy out. If he hadn't known the Shriner, he wouldn't have bought the ticket.

Maybe some of their "wasteful" activities are membership-building. I would think that, the more members the group has, the more visible they are and the more support they get and the more money they are able to raise. Like, if they were donating 90% of $10,000 it would be $9,000; whereas, if they were donating 70% of $100,000, it would be $70,000.

Just my thoughts.

I can't say a whole lot about the guy's who wear upside down flower pots with tassels on their heads and the way they are today. BUT 25 years ago, the Shriners Hospital in Dallas helped my nephew born with "club feet" to walk. His parents couldn't afford the multiple operations. So I'll still put a $20 in the bucket when they're around. If they screw up their organization and loose their focus....they'll be damned in the end.

''Money raised for the hospitals is being used to pay for parties and liquor and trips and they know it,'' said Johnny Edwards, a former leader of Oasis Shrine in Charlotte, N.C. ''The way I see it, they are stealing from crippled children.''

Think this part sums it up nicely...No doubt they do very nice things for children all over, but there is a big but

Only 2% going to the hospitals...Not sure how you can spin that in any way other than simply disgusting