Kony 2012 Highlights Importance Of Researching Charities

It’s a viral sensation that’s gotten more than 60 million views in less than a week, but ‘Kony 2012’ has also sparked criticism over how the charity that created it spends it’s money.

Invisible Children, a group that aims to raise awareness about the conflict in Uganda and children who have been victims of war, produced a video about Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony, a man accused of atrocities including the murder, rape and abduction of tens of thousands of people over the past two decades.

Some critics have pointed out that, according to Invisible Children Inc.’s 2010 tax records, the group spent just 32% of its funds on direct services in Africa. More money was spent in the U.S., over $3.8 million, on advocacy including “a biannual film tour, cross-platform media campaigns and grassroots awareness events.” Another $1.7 million went to employee salaries and benefits.

The group has responded by saying that it needs to spend money on advocacy and awareness of young people to promote the cause, and said that it’s an “old model” for a charity to give most of its funds directly to a cause.

“We do spend money on our films and on our advocacy and awareness, and we are proud of that,” founder and filmmaker Jason Russell told ABC News. “We are not ashamed of that.”

The controversy has served as a reminder that consumers should always be informed before opening their wallets to donate.

“Being here, I have learned you can’t just give because it’s a fabulous cause,” said Katie Carrol with the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado.

Carrol recommends searching for a charity on the BBB website to find out how much money goes to actual program activities. The BBB requires a charity to give at least 65% to it’s cause to be accredited.

“There are a lot of good charities that do 85-90%, so their CEOs aren’t getting lots and lots of money and their payroll isn’t super high and they’re not in some fancy building in downtown Manhattan,” said Carrol.

Invisible Children is among the charities that have not given the BBB requested information to determine if they meet standards.

Another resource is Charity Navigator , a website that breaks down expenses and rates charities on use of finances and transparency.

Fro those who want more specific financial details, most charities provide financial information, including tax records, on their websites. Consumers can also go to GuideStar to access that information.