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Cleveland, OH - Local Car Donation Program A Sham |
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Cyndy Norwood of the Center for Mental Retardation(CMR) says The Helping Jew is operating more like a business, not a charity.
Channel 3 News reviewed the organization's tax returns from 2005 and 2006, the 2 most recent years available. In 2006, The Helping Jew showed revenue of $260,000. Administrative expenses totalled $242,000. Records show only $16,000 or 6% went to charity. In 2005, it was even worse. Revenue: $408,000. Administrative: $385,000. Charity: $4,000 or 1%. "Somebody is making money. It seems the people running the charity are pocketing the whole thing, calling it charity," said Norwood.
The Investigator Tom Meyer tried to talk with The Helping Jew. Their accountant refused to answer the door at the organization's home address in Lyndhurst. When he called to ask questions, the accountant hung up on him.
Channel 3 News learned The Helping Jew has the same tax-exempt federal identification number as a group called United Society. A tow truck driver, who hauls vehicles for the organizations, said they're the same. United Society's published address is a mail drop in Richmond Heights. No one from the group could be reached for comment.
CMR operates its own reputable car donation program. Norwood says so far this year she has seen a 55% drop in its car donation revenues. She blames it largely on copycat programs like The Helping Jew. Norwood says her agency depends on revenues from her program to fund a number of programs incuding school-aged advocacy for special needs kids.
Our Lady of the Wayside also runs a car donation program and operates 42 homes for the physically and mentally challenged with revenues from vehicles that are donated to their organization.
"Those programs that aren't doing it the right way, it's just a bad mark on all the charities," said Ken Voight of Our Lady of the Wayside.
Voight said be sure to check if the charity is registered with the Ohio Attorney General. If it isn't, he says it raises a red flag.
The Helping Jew is not registered with attorney general. A spokesman for the attorney general said the office planned to send a letter to The Helping Jew, asking it to register.
The Cleveland Better Business Bureau says it also plans to contact the group to ask about how it's using vehicles that are donated to its organization and how it's allocating revenues generated from the sale of those cars.
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Read Comments (6) — Post Yours »
1
Jul 25, 2008 at 11:04 AM Anonymous Says:
This has nothing to do with the frum comunity in Cleveland.
A while back, there was a study done on the car donation business. One of the few organizations which came up creditable was Oorah; most of the rest were frauds such as the one mentioned in this article.
2
Jul 25, 2008 at 11:51 AM Cherrybim Says:
Chabad; The Salvation Army; Habitat; NPR; Heritage for the Blind; Goodwill Industries are also some of the credtable agencies.
3
Jul 25, 2008 at 01:38 PM Anonymous Says:
Charity begins in the home
4
Jul 25, 2008 at 03:51 PM ding dong ding dung anyone home Says:
So how many jews were helped by the helping jew?
5
Jul 25, 2008 at 04:52 PM Phil Fink Says:
I believe that I am in the main stream of Cleveland Jewery...as host of a long running Jewish radio program (42 years). I live a mile from Lyndhurst OH. I have never heard of the Helping Jew. It is possible this group took the name because we as Jews believe in chesed and tzdakah so why not use a name that personifies our good qualities. Based on where the company is located (in a residence) I doubt that the owner/principle is Jewish.
6
Jul 25, 2008 at 06:11 PM moshe Says:
they say they give money to send not yet religious kids to day schools but i chalenge anyone to call any such day school and see if they where ever helpful with funding.
it's quite unfortuanate