A charitable organization/charity is a group specifically chartered and organized to provide philanthropy. When individuals give money to such a cause, they automatically assume that their hard-earned dollars go directly to individuals in need. In many instances, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Black Lives Matter and Times Up are two popular, celebrity supported “charities” that have treated their organizations more like self-serving piggy banks than philanthropic organizations.

You may be shocked to find out that Black Lives Matter, Inc. is a Delaware for-profit corporation, not a charity. They spend a significant amount of their raised money on corporate travel and white politicians’ political campaigns. Even more disturbing is that there seems to be little regard for the actual lives of which they reference in their name. You haven’t seen Black Lives Matter, Inc. making donations to minority-owned businesses impacted by COVID. There is no mention of Black Lives Matter, Inc. opening schools or community centers for black children who are left without proper schooling or child care during the pandemic.

Moving from “Black Lives Matter” to “Me Too,” you may remember a few years ago when A-list Hollywood actresses wore black dresses to the Oscars saying hashtag Time’s Up-–no more sexual harassment and unequal treatment of women. From there, the Time’s Up Foundation and Time’s Up Now Inc. were born. Again, you see that one of those groups is NOT a charity but a for-profit corporation. On the alleged charitable side of Me Too, public records show that most of the donations were spent on executive salaries, and only a fraction on legal costs went to victims.

This lack of transparency and authenticity should bother hard-working Americans who want to see their money used for the greater good of the less fortunate, not for the greater good of entitled, dishonest individuals. The best way to monitor how your money is spent would be first checking with the IRS on their website. If the group is a charity, your donation has the perk of being tax-deductible, ensuring that the group is registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the IRS. Second of all, websites such as Charity Navigator evaluate and break down various charities and spend their money. They recommend that nonprofits spend 75 percent of their revenues on their mission and 25 percent on administration.

Often, the names are trendy. They are backed by glamorous and famous people who charismatically speak about their endeavors. Don’t be fooled by a popular movement or a big star. It is far more critical to carefully evaluate the organization to make sure you send your money to the right place.