Police Protective Fund Update

Our investigation of a charity calling folks in the area, has generated a response..

The response is from the charity ITSELF..

We took their response directly to the watchdog agency that's doing the reporting on them, and you'll be shocked by the results..

Folks in the area have been getting calls from telemarketers from the Police Protective Fund..

One person who called us, says she got hung up on, when she questioned the charity's fundraising..

Our investigation has uncovered information that is now disputed by the Better Business Bureau..

After our story yesterday, Greg Bolin with the Police Protective Fund in Austin, Texas called me to refute some of our information about the charity..

We got a statement from the charity, and forwarded that statement to the Better Business Bureau..

Bureau President Jim Winsett says, the agency is apparently mixing the bureau's guidelines for BUSINESSES with those for charities..

"They're not reporting how the bureau reports truthfully towards charities," says Mr. Winsett..

For example, the information I received from the Police Protective Fund indicates the agency has a "satisfactory record" with the B-B-B.

"For charities, we do not report 'satisfactory or unsatisfactory," says Mr. Winsett..

"What we do in fact report is whether they meet the standards of a charitable giving organization," he says..

"Does this organization meet those standards?" I asked Mr. Winsett..

"They do not," he said..

Last week, the watchdog website Charity Navigator reported the Police Protective Fund allocates 11.3 per cent of your donations to programs, and 86.5 per cent to fundraising.

Phil LeConte with the P-P-F corrected that yesterday to 33.7 per cent to programs and 64.3 per cent to fundraising.

But standards for charitable giving at the Better Business Bureau mandate at least 65 per cent of donations need to go to programs, and no more than 35 per cent to fundraising and salaries..

"If it were the other way around," Mr. Winsett says, "they would be getting real close to being acceptable to the financial distribution of their donation."

The Police Protective Fund also sent me a list of slain officers, whose families received death benefits from the charity..

That list was NEVER sent to the B-B-B..

"They in fact will not respond to requests for information for us to be able to evaluate them," says Mr. Winsett..

Mr. Bolin also says officers do not have to pay to be enrolled in the charity's programs to be eligible for the 10-thousand dollar death benefit..

He also says, the B-B-B references have all now been changed..

He also presented the possibility of mistaken identity, because he says "there are several organizations that have the words 'police,' 'protective,' or 'protection' in them, and that folks may be confusing the names..

Mr. Winsett says, the B-B-B is only addressing the Police Protective Fund that's located at 1114 West 7th Street in Austin, Texas.

Mr. Bolin confirms, that is the charity under discussion.

In a separate email, Mr. Bolin suggests that potential donors go the agency's website to personally evaluate the charity's "current programming, the past achievements, the credentials of the agency's advisory council, and the organization's commitment to accountability."

And at the same time, check out the Better Business Bureau's Charity Website also below, on how to make sure the donation you give to a charity, goes exactly what you want it to go..

You can also consult the B-B-B's Wise Giving Guide, that give valuable advice for giving to charities.. we STRONGLY recommend folks get this brochure before giving..

It's free of charge at the bureau..