Lakewood, NJ – Two New Jersey nonprofits who allegedly mislead Pennsylvania donors about the use of their donations reached a settlement Friday with the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office.
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Joy For Our Youth Inc., which was doing business in Pennsylvania under the names Kars-4-Kids and Oorah Inc., all of Lakewood, N.J., reached the $65,000 agreement with the Charitable Trusts and Organizations Section of Attorney General Tom Corbett’s office. The groups apparently asked for donations for “disadvantaged children” but didn’t disclose to contributors that only children of a certain religious affiliation would benefit from the funds raised., according to a press release from Corbett’s office.
JOY was also not properly registered with the Pa. Department of State and “failed to include state-required disclosures in radio, print and Internet solicitations,” according to the press release
JOY For Our Youth will pay $45,000 in restitution as well as $10,000 in civil penalties and $10,000 in investigative costs for a total payment of $65,000, according to Corbett’s office. The restitution money will be handed out to children’s charities in Pennsylvania.
so when i donate to oorahs chinese auction my money will go to some christian charity in PA
This is why the whole Kars for Kids thing always drove me crazy. They advertise all over the place but never disclose that it’s for kiruv. All they say is that it goes to “kids in need,” which sounds like it’s going to feed poor kids or something. It has made (and continues to make) a huge chilul hashem when non-jews find out where their money is going to.
He meant to write “janitor”
Oorah is a wonderful tzeddaka organization. But I would also like to know what percentage of my donation goes to actual outreach and how much goes for advertising. Anyone know where I can get this info?
Buying campgrounds and office complexes are very costly.
#6 you are very funny!!
Anyone who mentioned anything about the advertising is an idiot. How are people suppose to know about it without advertising. Even If half of the money went to advertising, If they didint advertise they wouldn’t have anything. So what’s better to advertise and get money donated and pay some to advertise or not advertise and nobody knows about them and they have no money because no one is donating. What’s better? Maybe they should stop advertising and just sit there and hope everybody magically funds out about them and makes a donation. Don’t ever get into business. And besides this organization does a lot of good for these needy people. If you want to help these kids instead go ahead. If your not going to don’t go and start criticizing and making sound like they’re wrong for what they do someone who does.
Where are the Oorah children?
Is Reb Chaim Mintz still involved?
VIN,
Thanks for having the courage to bring this story of rogue charities to the fore. Sweeping this story under the rug as many have tried to do over the years will only serve to further debase Judaism in the eyes of the community even further – like rabbinic pedophilia.
I know first hand all that Oorah does and can testify to the fact that a majority of the children they deal with it are from nebech, needy and low class families. The work that they (and everyone who volunteers on Oorah’s behalf) does is beautiful and really geared towards bringing Jewish children back towards Yiddishkeit. All the work they do invovles tremendous expenses thereby the advertising they do is vital to bring in the funds that are needed to continue with their important work. I know, for a fact, that every single advertisement that goes out invovles tremendous thought and contemplation to make sure it is done in the most cost effective way and that it truly is needed. Unless you know all the facts then dont be so fast to judge or comment.
Oorah misrepresents themselves. Alot of goyim donate to them thinking their money is going to help kids, but it is a religious charity. I understand they help poor kids but there is a hint of sheker involved. It does not say anywhere on Kars 4 Kids or the Joy for our Youth website that it is a religious charity.
Has anybody noticed that Joy for our Youth sounds like a Nazi children’s charity?
their 911 is online – a public charity is required by law to be transparent about their earnings and expenses. All the same, i have a feeling you will be favorably impressed when you see their tax filings.
All it takes is a minute amount of investigation to figure out that the money goes for Jewish outreach. If you ar so concerned that jews do not get the money it is incumbent on you to do the investigation. I do not believe that there was a single donor who complained about where their donation went. It was probably some yodel commenting on blogs who brought it to the attention of the media. Once a story was made up, the AG smelled an opprtunity.
Donors wanted to get ri of their clunkers and receive a tax deductible receipt. That is exactly what Kars 4 kids provided, efficiently and in ccordance with IRS regulations. This came about from some individuals who are jealous of Oorah and wanted some of the money they raised for themselves.
So, Milhouse, Oorah is deceiving non-Jews, in order they receive a great zechus. Wow, that is a level of tzedakah I don’t even think the Rambam has written about.