Click here to donate to Hoops For Hope!

Your Money: To really help a charity, just write a check
Article originally published by USA TODAY, May 2007

If you're a time-pressed multitasker, a charity fun run or walk-a-thon offers an ideal way to burn off a few calories while helping a worthy cause. And if you're a social climber, charity balls provide an opportunity to curry favor with influential people and still feel good about yourself in the morning.

But perhaps your self-satisfaction is misplaced. A new report by Charity Navigator, a charity watchdog group, contends that walk-a-thons, golf outings and black-tie balls are an inefficient way to raise money for charities. On average, charities spend $1.33 to raise $1 in special-events contributions, the report found.

YOUR THOUGHTS: Do you participate in charity events, such as walks?

Success stories
Not all special events are money losers. The American Cancer Society spends less than 11 cents of every dollar it raises through special events, such as its Relay for Life, according to Charity Navigator. The March of Dimes spends 13 cents for each dollar raised through such events...Click here to read the entire article.