Schneiderman requests info on Sandy fundraising efforts

NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced on Tuesday that his office sent letters to 75 non-profits requesting information on their Hurricane Sandy-related fundraising and relief activities.

Schneiderman's Charities Bureau, in an effort to promote transparency and donor confidence and to ensure that funds are properly used, will compile the information it receives and report it online.

The letters request information on the amount of money raised and spent to date for Hurricane Sandy relief and if donations will be used solely for Hurricane Sandy relief. The letters also request information on the services provided to those affected by the hurricane, what the charity plans to do with surplus funds, and if the charity is providing funding to other organizations or making direct financial grants to individuals, families or businesses.

"Our office commends all of the charities, and their volunteers and donors, who have come to the assistance of New Yorkers after Hurricane Sandy," Schneiderman said. "In light of the importance of the recovery efforts, and the enormous amount of money raised in such a short period of time, it is critical that donors know where their money is going, and that funds are spent responsibly. In the name of transparency and accountability, we must ensure that funds raised for Hurricane Sandy relief are used for that purpose."

Organizations receiving the letters include the AARP Foundation, Acupuncturists Without Borders, Afya Foundation, All Hands Volunteers, American Humane Association, American Red Cross, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, AmeriCares Foundation Inc., Best Friends Animal Society, B'nai B'rith International, Breezy Point Hurricane Sandy Relief, Brooklyn Recovery Fund, Brother's Brother Foundation, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, Catholic Charities Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens Inc., Center for Disaster Philanthropy, Children's Hunger Fund, Church World Service, City Harvest, Citymeals-on-Wheels, Convoy of Hope, Direct Relief International, Disaster Chaplaincy Services, Emergency Children's Help Organization, Empire State Relief Fund, Episcopal Relief & Development, Feed the Children, Food Bank for New York City, Gleaning For The World, and Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey Inc.

Other non-profits receiving letters include Graybeards, Habitat for Humanity International, Heart to Heart International, Hispanic Federation, Hope for the Warriors, Hurricane Sandy Relief Foundation, ICNA Relief, International Rescue Committee, Islamic Relief USA, Jewish Disaster Response Corps, Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc., Liberty Street Relief Fund, MAP International, Matthew 25 Ministries, Modest Needs Foundation, Movement for Peace, National Firefighters Endowment, National Urban League, New York Cares, New York Communities for Change, Occupy Sandy, Operation Blessing International, Rebuilding Together, Rebuilding Together NYC, Red Hook Initiative, Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Robin Hood Foundation, Samaritan's Purse Save the Children Federation Inc., and ShelterBox USA.

Additionally, letters were sent to Staten Island Strong, Stephen Siller Tunnel To Towers Foundation, Team Rubicon, The Humane Society of the United States, The Jewish Federations of North America Inc., The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City, The New York City Coalition Against Hunger, The Salvation Army, UJA-Federation of New York, United Methodist Committee on Relief, United Way of Long Island, United Way of New York City, Waves For Water, We Care NYC, and World Vision International.