Widespread Problems Found With Sports Stars' Charities
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
April 1, 2013
Charities launched by star athletes frequently fall short of good standards for efficiency, effectiveness, and governance, according to an ESPN investigation.
The network's "Outside the Lines" program looked at 115 organizations founded by high-profile sports figures and said 74 percent did not meet one or more criteria set by watchdog groups Charity Navigator, the Better Business Bureau, and the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy.
The charities often spend little money on programs or donations related to their stated missions, and many were behind on Internal Revenue Services filings or submitted returns riddled with errors and omissions, ESPN found.
