-------------------------Indexing Terms------------------------- 
REPORTNUM:   GAO-02-1037		

TITLE:     September 11: Interim Report on the Response of Charities

DATE:   09/03/2002 
				                                                                         
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GAO-02-1037

   Report to the Honorable Charles E. Grassley, Ranking Minority Member,
   Committee on Finance, U. S. Senate

   United States General Accounting Office

   GAO

   September 2002 SEPTEMBER 11 Interim Report on the Response of Charities

   GAO- 02- 1037

   Page i GAO- 02- 1037 September 11 Charitable Aid Letter 1

   Appendix I Congressional Briefing Slides 6

   Appendix II Additional Fund Information 35

   Appendix III Information on Federal Victim Compensation Fund 37

   Abbreviations

   FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency IRS Internal Revenue Service
   Contents

   Page 1 GAO- 02- 1037 September 11 Charitable Aid

   September 3, 2002 The Honorable Charles E. Grassley Ranking Minority
   Member Committee on Finance United States Senate

   Dear Senator Grassley: On September 11, 2001, America suffered terrorist
   attacks that resulted in the deaths of more than 3,000 people in New York
   City, at the Pentagon in Virginia, and in Pennsylvania. In addition,
   economists suggest that in New York City alone, about 100,000 people may
   have lost their income as a result of these events. 1 Federal, state, and
   local governments responded to this disaster in a variety of ways and
   private charities provided aid beyond that of government. Some surveys
   suggest that as many as two- thirds of American households have donated
   money to charitable organizations to aid in the response to the disaster.

   To provide with you information on the role of charitable aid in aiding
   those affected by the attacks, you asked us to determine the following:
   (1) How much in donations have charities raised to assist September 11
   survivors, and what assistance has been made available to them? (2) What
   accountability measures are in place to ensure that only eligible
   individuals receive aid, and what is known about fraud committed by
   organizations and individuals? (3) What coordination efforts have been
   pursued, if any, in response to the disaster? and (4) What lessons can be
   learned about how to best distribute charitable aid in similar situations?

   To answer these questions, we used information on funds raised and
   distributed that was gathered by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, a key
   trade publication of the nonprofit sector, and supplemented it with
   information we gathered directly from organizations during our review. We
   interviewed officials from 12 of the largest September 11- related funds
   in New York City and Washington, D. C., representatives from three

   1 See U. S. General Accounting Office, Review of Studies of the Economic
   Impact of the September 11, 2001, Terrorist Attacks on the World Trade
   Center, GAO- 02- 700R (Washington, D. C.: May 29, 2002).

   United States General Accounting Office Washington, DC 20548

   Page 2 GAO- 02- 1037 September 11 Charitable Aid

   September 11 victims* groups, officials from various philanthropic
   oversight organizations, and representatives from the major charities
   providing assistance after the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. We also
   spoke with officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),
   the federal agency charged with responding to disasters, the New York City
   Office of Emergency Management, and the Office of Family Policy of the
   Department of Defense. Finally, we interviewed officials from government
   oversight agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service (IRS),
   officials from state charity offices or Attorneys General offices in seven
   states, and the New York County (Manhattan) District Attorney*s Office. We
   conducted our review from January to August 2002 in accordance with
   generally accepted government auditing standards. We did not independently
   verify data provided by the charitable organizations or oversight
   officials. It was not within the scope of our work to review the
   charitable organizations* systems of internal controls or to trace their
   use of funds.

   On August 21, 2002, we briefed your staff on the results of our review.
   This report formally conveys the information provided during that
   briefing. Our key findings are summarized in the following paragraphs.

   While it may be difficult to precisely tally the total amount of funds
   raised, 34 of the larger charities have reported raising an estimated $2.4
   billion since September 11, 2001. With over 300 charities involved in
   collecting funds for September 11 survivors, a precise tally of how much
   charitable aid was collected and distributed, to whom, and for what
   purposes may never be available, given the difficulties in tracking
   information across multiple independent charitable organizations. Of the
   estimated $2.4 billion reported collected by the larger charities, about
   two- thirds were reported to have been distributed for aid. Fund
   distribution rates vary widely among these charities, in part because of
   differences in their operating mission. For example, some charities were
   established to provide immediate assistance, while others, such as
   scholarship funds, were established to provide services over a longer
   period of time.

   Charities reported distributing these funds for a broad range of
   assistance (cash grants and services) to the families of those killed or
   injured, for those more indirectly affected through loss of their jobs or
   homes, and for disaster relief workers. For example, in addition to cash
   grants to more than 3,000 families of the victims, charities aided at
   least 50,000 families who lost jobs or income or whose homes were damaged,
   and served millions of meals to thousands of rescue workers. To distribute
   aid, charities had to make extensive efforts to identify victims and
   survivors as

   Page 3 GAO- 02- 1037 September 11 Charitable Aid

   there were no uniform contact lists for families of victims; charity
   officials also said privacy issues affected the sharing of information
   among charities. Charities also faced challenges in providing aid to non-
   English speaking people in need of assistance; some charities have focused
   their efforts on these individuals.

   Charities and government oversight agencies have taken a number of steps
   to prevent fraud and relatively few cases have been uncovered so far. To
   minimize fraud by individuals, most charities required applicants to
   provide documentation certifying their needs and the relationship of their
   need to the disaster. Also, some charities conducted independent reviews
   of their applications and eligibility processes. State attorneys general
   and local district attorneys* those charged with investigating fraud by
   individuals and charities* told us that although they did not have
   additional resources available to address September 11- related fraud,
   they are actively responding to any report of potential fraud. For
   example, the New York County District Attorney*s Office said it had
   arrested at least 20 people for individual fraud and estimated that about
   $1 million in fraudulent aid has been obtained. The District Attorney*s
   Office also said it is currently investigating about 50 additional cases.
   While relatively few cases of fraud have been identified so far, the total
   extent of fraud is not known and may be difficult to assess, particularly
   in situations where businesses advertise that a portion of profits on a
   product they sell will be provided to a charity, or when organizations
   solicit funds on behalf of September 11 but use the funds for other
   purposes.

   Coordination efforts among charities were constrained by several factors,
   including charities* need to maintain the confidentiality of their
   clients, the lack of uniform victims lists, and the huge scale and complex
   nature of the event and its aftermath. In the initial stages of disaster
   relief, aid providers generally did not coordinate on either the
   distribution of emergency aid or assessments of victims* needs, although a
   more coordinated approach emerged later. While charitable organizations
   took immediate steps to get aid to those in need, families of victims
   generally believed that they had to navigate a maze of service providers,
   and confusion existed about the range of services available to people,
   particularly those facing job or housing losses. We found evidence of more
   integrated approaches to providing services some months after the event.
   For example, the 9/ 11 United Services Group, a consortium of 13 charities
   formed in December 2001 in New York City, has fostered a more coordinated
   approach to aid delivery, including training service coordinators to help
   survivors identify and access a broad range of services.

   Page 4 GAO- 02- 1037 September 11 Charitable Aid

   Overall, charitable aid made a major contribution in the nation*s response
   to the September 11 attacks despite very difficult circumstances. Through
   the work of these charities, millions of people have been able to
   contribute to the recovery effort and help meet the needs of the thousands
   of people directly and indirectly affected by the attacks. The experience
   also offers lessons for the future. Charities, government agencies,
   watchdog groups, and survivors* organizations told us lessons learned
   about how to improve the charitable aid process in future disasters. These
   include the following:

    Good information about and easy access to available assistance could
   help survivors in the recovery process.

    Public and private agencies could better assist survivors by
   coordinating and sharing information with each other.

    Public education could clarify charities* role in disasters and help
   maintain the public*s confidence in charities.

    Planning for the role of charitable aid in disasters could aid the
   recovery process for individuals and communities.

   While valuable, these lessons may prove challenging to implement in the
   future, in part because of the inherent nature of the charitable sector,
   which is made up of independent organizations, responsive to clients and
   donors, and not under the direction of a unifying authority. Currently, a
   key strength of charities is their ability to operate flexibly and
   independently in time of disasters, helping to fill gaps in other forms of
   aid.

   Important trade- offs would need to be identified and assessed before any
   actions were taken to manage the responses of the charitable sector in the
   future. Still, the role of the charitable sector deserves attention as
   part of the nation*s strategy for preparedness for emergencies.

   We provided an oral briefing of the key findings in this report to
   charitable organizations (the American Red Cross, the September 11th Fund,
   the 9/ 11 United Services Group), FEMA officials in New York City, and
   officials of New York State Attorney General*s Office in New York City.
   They generally said that the information provided in the oral briefing was
   wellbalanced and represented the complexity of the issues involved.

   Page 5 GAO- 02- 1037 September 11 Charitable Aid

   As agreed with your office, unless you publicly announce its contents
   earlier, we plan no further distribution of this report until 30 days
   after its issue date. At that time, we will send copies to other
   interested parties. We will also make copies available to others upon
   request. In addition, the report will be available at no charge on the GAO
   Web site at http:// www. gao. gov.

   If you or your staff has any questions about this report, please contact
   me at (202) 512- 7215 or Gale C. Harris, Assistant Director, at (202) 512-
   7235. Kevin Kumanga and Emily Leventhal also made key contributions to
   this report.

   Sincerely yours, Cynthia M. Fagnoni, Managing Director Education,
   Workforce, and

   Income Security Issues

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 6 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides

   1

   September 11: Charities Played an Important Role

   in the Nation*s Response Briefing for Staff of

   Senator Charles E. Grassley

   Ranking Minority Member Committee on Finance

   United States Senate August 21, 2002

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 7 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   2

   Motivating Concerns

    On September 11, 2001, America suffered terrorist attacks that resulted
   in extraordinary numbers of victims and survivors.

    It is estimated that 3,056 people died in the September 11 attacks.

    Economists suggest that in New York alone, approximately 100,000 people
   may have lost their jobs as a result of these disasters. 1

    Some surveys suggest that as many as two- thirds of American households
   donated money for disaster relief.

   1 U. S. General Accounting Office, Review of Studies of the Economic
   Impact of the September 11, 2001, Terrorist Attacks on the World Trade
   Center; GAO- 02- 700R, (Washington, D. C.: May 29, 2002).

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 8 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   3

   Key Questions

   To better understand the role of charitable aid in assisting those
   affected by the attacks, at your request, we examined the following:

    How much in donations have charities raised to assist September 11
   survivors, and what assistance has been made available to them?

    What accountability measures are in place to ensure that only eligible
   individuals receive aid, and what is known about fraud committed by
   organizations and individuals?

    What coordination efforts have been pursued, if any, in response to the
   disaster?

    What lessons can be learned about how to best distribute charitable aid
   in similar situations?

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 9 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   4

   Scope and Methodology * Organizations and Agencies Consulted

   Nonprofit sector  Interviews with the 12 largest funds related to
   September 11 in New York City (NYC) and Washington, D. C., and data on
   dollars raised and distributed from 22 other large funds.

    Representatives from three September 11 survivors* groups.

    Officials from various philanthropic oversight organizations.

    Major charity officials providing aid after Oklahoma City bombings.
   Federal, state, and local officials  Federal Emergency Management Agency
   (FEMA).

    NYC Office of Emergency Management.

    Department of Defense * Office of Family Policy.

    Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

    Attorneys General and other state charity offices in seven states.

    New York County District Attorney*s Office. Note: It was not within the
   scope of our work to review the charities* systems of internal controls or
   to trace their use of funds.

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 10 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   5

   Summary of Results

    While it may be difficult to precisely tally the total amount of funds
   collected, 34 of the larger September 11 charities have raised an
   estimated $2. 4 billion since September 11, 2001. 2,3 About two- thirds of
   the funds were reported to have been distributed so far and generally used
   for cash grants and a broad range of services for families of those killed
   and others affected by the attacks.

    Several accountability measures are in place at the federal, state, and
   local levels to help address fraud by individuals and organizations.
   Oversight agencies have reported relatively few cases of fraud so far, but
   the full extent to which fraud occurred is not known.

   2 See appendix II for a list of these charities and the amounts collected
   and distributed by each charity. 3 This includes existing charities with
   funds used for September 11 and newly created charities focused on
   September 11.

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 11 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   6

   Summary of Results (continued)

    In the initial stages of disaster relief, aid providers generally did
   not coordinate the distribution of aid. While a more coordinated approach
   emerged in later months, coordination efforts are still constrained by
   several factors, including charities* need to maintain the confidentiality
   of their clients and the huge scale and complex nature of the event.

    We learned several important lessons from many sources about ways to
   improve the charitable aid process in future disasters. However, these
   lessons may prove difficult to apply, in part because of the inherent
   nature of the charitable sector, which is comprised of independent
   entities responsive to clients and donors and not under the direction of a
   unifying authority.

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 12 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   7

   Background * Charitable Sector

   Charities represent a substantial presence in American society.

    Charities, recognized by Internal Revenue Code Section 501( c)( 3), are
   exempt from paying income taxes on the funds collected for charitable
   purposes. These purposes include serving the poor and distressed and other
   purposes that promote social welfare.

    Generally, taxpayers may deduct the amount of any contributions to 501(
   c)( 3) charitable organizations from their taxable income.

    By 2000, the IRS had recognized approximately 820, 000 501( c)( 3)
   charitable organizations in the United States.

    At the end of 1999, the assets of Section 501( c)( 3) organizations
   approached $1. 2 trillion and their annual revenues approached $720
   billion.

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 13 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   8

    Federal level: No one federal agency has complete responsibility for the
   oversight of charities. The IRS has primary responsibility for recognizing
   tax- exempt status and determining compliance with tax laws, such as those
   governing the use of charitable funds. 4

    State and local levels: Attorneys General and other state charity
   offices maintain registries of charities and professional fundraisers,
   including financial reports of registrants, and monitor the solicitation
   and administration of charitable assets. District Attorneys investigate
   and prosecute most of the criminal cases of individuals who defraud
   charities.

    Private agencies: *Charity watchdogs* analyze various aspects of
   charitable operations to help the public and others make decisions about
   charities and donations to them.

    The American public: The questions and concerns people bring to the
   attention of oversight officials are the key motivators for
   investigations.

   Background * Oversight of Charities

   4 For more information on IRS oversight of charities, see U. S. General
   Accounting Office, Tax- exempt Organizations: Improvements Possible in
   Public, IRS, and State Oversight of Charities, GAO- 02- 526 (Washington,
   D. C.: Apr. 30, 2002).

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 14 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   9

   Charities have historically played a role in the nation*s response to
   disasters.

    Some charities are equipped to arrive at a disaster scene and provide
   mass care, including food, shelter, and clothing. In addition, charities
   may provide emergency financial assistance.

    Depending on the extent and nature of devastation to a community and
   charities* typical services and capacities, some charities are best
   structured to provide longer- term assistance, such as job training or
   mental health counseling.

    Some charities were formed to address the needs of this specific event;
   some of the newly created charities were established for specific groups
   of those affected, for example, restaurant workers.

   Background * Charities* Roles in Disasters

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 15 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   10

   FEMA is the lead federal agency for responding to disasters and may link
   with charitable organizations.

    FEMA*s financial assistance to individual victims of a disaster can
   include mortgage and rental assistance and funding disaster unemployment
   benefits.

    According to FEMA regulations, in the event of a presidentially declared
   disaster or emergency, such as September 11, FEMA is required to
   coordinate relief and assistance activities of federal, state, and local
   governments; the American Red Cross; the Salvation Army; and Mennonite
   Disaster Service; as well as other voluntary relief organizations that
   agree to operate under FEMA*s direction.

    Although charities are expected to be among the first agencies to
   provide assistance to those affected, in the event of some natural
   disasters, FEMA may anticipate need and be the first to respond.

   Background * FEMA

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 16 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   11

   Though FEMA and charities provide key resources to victims of disaster, a
   range of aid may be available for those affected by the September 11
   attacks.

    Other federal sources include Social Security, Medicaid, and Department
   of Justice benefits for fallen police officers and fire fighters.

    Congress has set up a Federal Victim Compensation Fund for individuals
   injured and families of those who died in the attacks. 5

    States provide state Victim Compensation Board funds, unemployment
   insurance, or workers* compensation.

    Some families may also have private insurance or employer pensions.

   Background * Other Sources of Disaster Assistance

   5 See appendix III for more information on this fund.

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 17 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   12

    Thirty- four of the larger charities have raised an estimated $2. 4
   billion since September 11, 2001.

    Funds are being used for a broad range of assistance (cash grants and
   services) for the families of those killed and for those injured, as well
   as for those more indirectly affected, for example, through loss of their
   jobs or homes.

    With over 300 charities involved in collecting funds for September 11
   survivors, a precise count of the total funds raised and services provided
   is unlikely.

    While any one charity will have information on its funding and services,
   the charitable sector as a whole generally does not have reporting
   mechanisms in place to track funds across entities or for any one event.

    Neither charities nor any government or private entity is responsible
   for performing such reporting in this or any event.

   At Least $2. 4 Billion in Charitable Aid Raised

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 18 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   13

   Amount of Aid Raised and Distributed by Selected Charities

   Source: Data provided by the charities. Most data are as July 31, 2002,
   unless otherwise noted in appendix II, and do not reflect distributions
   planned for the future. For a full list of charities represented in this
   chart, also see appendix II.

   Millions of dollars 0 200

   400 600

   800 1000

   1200

   988 590

   503 333

   437 380 97

   0.4 425

   284 Raised Distributed

   American Red Cross

   Sept 11th Fund

   Police and firefighter

   (7 funds) Citizens

   scholarship fund

   Others (24 funds)

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 19 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   14

    The 34 charities report that about $1. 6 billion, or two- thirds, of the
   $2.4 billion collected has been distributed to those in need or spent on
   disaster relief in the first 10 months following the disaster.

    Fund distribution rates vary widely (from less than 1 percent to 100
   percent) among this group of charities, in part because of differences in
   their operating purpose. For example, some charities are established to
   provide immediate assistance, while others, such as scholarship funds, are
   established to provide services over a longer period of time.

    One study estimates that families of the nonuniformed deceased have
   received, on average, cash assistance totaling $90, 000 per family and
   will have needs for future, costly services like mental health counseling
   and scholarship programs. 6

   Most Aid Collected Already Distributed

   6 McKinsey & Co., A Study of the Ongoing Needs of People Affected by the
   World Trade Center Disaster prepared for the 9/ 11 United Services Group
   (New York, NY: June 2002).

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 20 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   15

   Examples of the Range of Aid Provided by Three Large Charities

   Source: Data provided by charities as of July 31, 2002; does not include
   future or planned distributions. a This reflects the total as of November
   5, 2001; more recent data were not available.

   Charity Directly affected Indirectly affected Immediate disaster relief

   Other

   American Red Cross * Liberty Fund

   3, 396 survivor families received up to 9 months* living and other
   expenses averaging $54, 000 per family ($ 182 million)

   55, 000 families who lost jobs or income or whose homes were damaged
   received 3 months* living expenses ($ 276 million total)

   14 million meals for disaster workers and others affected

   236, 000 mental health counseling visits

   131, 000 health service visits

   The September 11 th Fund

   3, 500 survivor families received $20,000 each 35, 000 displaced

   workers and 3,000 displaced residents received $4,000 $10,000 each

   15, 000 who lost jobs received training, career counseling, or placement
   services

   343,000 meals served to rescue workers

   20, 000 people received mental health counseling and referrals and 10,000
   people received legal advice

   Nearly 1, 000 small businesses and nonprofits got grants or loans to help
   rebuild the community

   Salvation Army Rent, utilities, mortgage payments, transportation, and
   counseling ($ 4.8 million) a

   4.5 million meals served

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 21 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   16

   Identifying and Reaching Those in Need of Aid Posed Challenges

    Charities had to make extensive efforts to identify victims and
   survivors as there were no uniform lists; charity officials also said
   privacy issues affected the sharing of information among charities.

    Some charities focused their efforts on those considered harder-
   toserve, including non- English speakers and immigrants.

    Twenty percent of the victims in NYC were foreign- born, coming from 164
   different countries.

    Charities such as Windows of Hope were created to specifically serve
   low- income restaurant workers.

    The Immigration and Naturalization Service facilitated efforts to reach
   immigrants by saying it would not pursue information on the immigration
   status of individuals.

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 22 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   17

   Accountability Measures Are in Place to Address Different Types of Fraud

   Different types of fraud possible Accountability measures in place to
   prevent or detect fraud By individual: Fraudulent claims of eligibility

   for a charity*s funds or services can include claiming survivor benefits
   using a false death certificate or a forged identity or

   falsely representing need for job- related or housing benefits. Charities*
   eligibility screening, including document checking. Charities* internal
   audits of screening process.

   Police or District Attorney investigations (either initiated by charities
   or by law enforcement).

   By group or organization: soliciting funds by those pretending to
   represent a charitable cause or using September 11 to solicit funds but
   using funds for a nonrelated purpose. Complaints by the general public or
   charity watchdogs.

   Attorneys General investigations. External audits by accounting firms. IRS
   review. By business: Cause- related marketing (a

   business advertises that a portion of profits on a product will be
   provided to a charity) can result in a charity receiving few or no
   benefits from the product sales.

   Charities monitor media and attend to questions from the public. State
   Attorneys General may require submission of a contract between the charity
   and the business.

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 23 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   18

   Charities Took Steps to Ensure Only Eligible Individuals Received Aid

    Most charities we spoke with required applicants to provide
   documentation certifying identity, injury, death of a family member, or
   loss of job or home, and financial need (if required).

    Some charities said they were overwhelmed by the volume of applications;
   some had to hire new staff or volunteers to help them manage their relief
   efforts. These factors may have had a detrimental effect on eligibility
   determination, resulting in increased risk of ineligible individuals
   receiving aid or eligible individuals being inappropriately denied aid.

    To verify that they were adequately screening for fraud, some charities
   conducted independent reviews of their eligibility processes. The American
   Red Cross*s review identified 350 suspected cases of fraudulent claims on
   its Liberty Fund, representing less than 1 percent of distributed funds.

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 24 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   19

   Oversight Agencies Say They Are Actively Pursuing Fraud

    To identify potential fraud, state charity offices and local District
   Attorneys typically rely heavily on complaints from the public and on the
   charities themselves to identify ineligible individuals or fraudulent
   charitable groups or solicitations.

    State Attorneys General and local District Attorneys we spoke with said
   that although they did not have additional resources available to address
   September 11- related fraud, they are actively pursuing any fraud
   identified.

    State charity officials did outreach to a number of groups.

    They made presentations to professional fundraising associations and
   charity boards about state guidelines and these groups* responsibilities.

    They also issued educational press releases, indicating that people
   should check out charities before they write checks.

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 25 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   20

   Oversight Agencies Reported Relatively Few Cases of Fraud So Far

    Attorneys General and state charity officials from seven states that
   suffered high numbers of casualties from September 11 told us they are
   investigating a combined total of 16 suspected cases of fraudulent
   solicitation of funds. 7

    The New York County District Attorney*s Office said that as of August
   2002 it had arrested at least 20 people for individual fraud and estimated
   that about $1 million in aid has been fraudulently obtained. The office
   said it is currently investigating about 50 additional cases. The New York
   State Attorney General*s office reported investigating approximately 20
   cases of individual fraud.

    The total extent of fraud is not known at this time and will be
   particularly difficult to assess in areas such as cause- related marketing
   and groups using September 11 to solicit funds for other purposes.

   7 California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania,
   and Virginia.

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 26 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   21

   Little Coordination of Charitable Aid Occurred Early On

    Charitable organizations took immediate steps to collect funds, fund
   service providers, create lists of aid available for use at newly
   established assistance centers, and establish 800 numbers and Web sites
   with aid information.

    Still, families of victims generally believed they had to navigate a
   maze of service providers in the early months.

    In addition, there was confusion about the range of services available,
   particularly those facing job or housing losses, and the eligibility
   requirements for charitable aid and some of FEMA*s aid programs.

    While FEMA took steps to establish an *unmet needs* committee (to bring
   together charities to share information and help identify the unmet needs
   of victims) in New York, as it had done early on in Oklahoma, these steps
   were initially unsuccessful.

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 27 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   22

   A More Coordinated Approach Began to Emerge over Time

   Some months after the disaster, oversight agencies and large funders
   worked to establish a more coordinated approach.

    New York State Attorney General had encouraged charities to work
   together to ease access to aid, including use of a common application form
   and database.

    The 9/ 11 United Services Group, a consortium of 13 charities formed in
   December 2001 to foster a more coordinated approach to aid delivery, has
   in place a database that a few member charities are using. Both the 9/ 11
   United Services Group and the Survivors* Fund in Virginia have trained
   service coordinators to help survivors identify and access a broad range
   of services.

    FEMA has taken steps to expand its geographic service area for FEMA aid
   and has convened unmet needs committees in New Jersey and in New York
   City.

    United Way of the National Capital Area has held informationsharing
   meetings for Washington and Virginia service providers.

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 28 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   23

   Coordination Poses Challenges to Charities

    The promise of confidentiality for those provided aid is essential to
   the charities we spoke with, complicating any efforts to share information
   on those served, such as through a single database.

    In addition, charities* obligations to serve a clearly defined group of
   clients and to fulfill donor intent can hamper efforts to coordinate aid.

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 29 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   24

   Many Other Factors Hindered a More Coordinated Approach to Providing Aid

    In the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing, charities and service
   providers worked together to create a database of aid recipients, provide
   each recipient a case manager, and sit on the unmet needs committee to
   better coordinate aid.

    However, the September 11 event was much more complex, differing in key
   ways that hindered a similar approach, including:

    much larger number of actual and potential aid recipients,

    numerous governmental jurisdictions involved, and

    larger number and multiple layers of funders and grantees.

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 30 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   25

   Many Sources Offered Valuable Lessons for the Future

   Government agencies, charities, watchdog groups, and survivors*
   organizations have commented on the lessons learned from the September 11
   charitable aid process, which could prove valuable in the future. These
   include the following:

    Good information about and easy access to available assistance could
   help survivors in the recovery process.

    Public and private agencies could better assist survivors by
   coordinating and sharing information with each other.

    Public education could clarify charities* role in disasters and help
   maintain the public*s confidence in charities.

    Planning for the role of charitable aid in disasters could aid the
   recovery process for individuals and communities.

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 31 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   26

   Valuable Lessons Learned May Prove Difficult to Implement

    If implemented, the lessons learned may ease the experiences of those
   affected by large- scale disasters in the future, and potentially result
   in more effective use of the resources available.

    However, there are no easy answers as to how best ensure that these
   lessons are incorporated into any future responses to disasters.

    Applying these lessons may be particularly challenging, in part because
   of the inherent nature of the charitable sector, which is comprised of
   independent entities responsive to clients and donors and not under the
   direction of a unifying authority.

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 32 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   27

   Managing Charities* Responses Would Require Assessment of Trade- Offs

    Important trade- offs would need to be identified and assessed before
   any actions were taken to manage the responses of the charitable sector in
   the future.

    Currently, a key strength of charities is their ability to operate
   flexibly and independently in the time of disasters, helping to fill gaps
   in other forms of aid.

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 33 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   28

   Concluding Observations

    Overall, charitable aid made a major contribution in the nation*s
   response to the September 11 attacks despite very difficult circumstances.

    Through the work of these charities, millions of people have been able
   to contribute to the recovery effort and help meet the needs of the
   thousands of people directly and indirectly affected by the attacks.

   Appendix I: Congressional Briefing Slides Page 34 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   29

   Concluding Observations (continued)

    Two key issues stand out, however, and while both of the issues were
   inherent in the charitable sector before September 11, they have been
   exacerbated by the scope and the public response to this disaster.

    First, a precise tally of how much charitable aid was collected and
   distributed, to whom, and for what purposes may never be available, given
   the difficulties in tracking information across multiple independent
   charitable organizations.

    Second, while a more coordinated approach may be advisable in the
   future, much remains unknown about how best to achieve coordination, what
   role the federal government might play, and what trade- offs may be
   involved, such as loss of flexibility in, and independence of, the
   charitable sector.

    Still, the role of the charitable sector deserves attention as part of
   the nation*s strategy for preparedness for emergencies.

   Appendix II: Additional Fund Information Page 35 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   Appendix II: Additional Fund Information

   30

   September 11 Fund Data for 34 Large Charities

   Relief charities Amount raised Amount distributed Percent distributed

   Ameri can Lung Associ ati on $ 139, 000 $ 63, 748 46 American Red Cross
   Liberty Fund 988,000,000 590,000,000 60 Ameri cares Foundati on 9, 249,
   725 9, 042,000 98 Army Emergency Relief 5,030,777 235,744 5 American
   Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals 1, 740,000 877,000 50
   Catholic Charities of NY 25,400,000 17,300,000 68 Catholic Charities USA a
   29,800,000 24,000,000 81 Ci ti zens' Scholarshi p Foundati on 97, 000, 000
   400,000 less than 1 Farmers' Market Federation of NY 150,000 150,000 100
   Federal Employee Education & Assistance Fund 5,539,523 416,073 8
   International Association of Fire Fighters b 156,000,000 144,000,000 92
   Jewish Federation of Greater Washington 450,000 400,000 89 Ki wani s
   Internati onal Foundati on 1, 519, 379 1, 157,207 76 Lions Cl ubs
   Internati onal Foundati on 3, 100, 000 500,000 16 Nati onal Ital i an
   Ameri can Foundati on c 200,000 56,000 28 Navy- Marine Corps Relief
   Society 6, 140,000 67,046 1 New York Times 9/ 11 Neediest Fund d
   59,455,792 58,978,789 99 NYC Pol i ce Foundati on 10, 600, 000 5, 100,000
   48 New York State Fraternal Order of Pol i ce Foundati on e 7,307,384
   6,232,415 85 New York State World Trade Center Relief Fund 67,000,000
   36,000,000 54

   Appendix II: Additional Fund Information Page 36 GAO- 02- 1037 September
   11 Charitable Aid

   31

   September 11 Fund Data for 34 Large Charities (continued)

   Notes: We asked the charities to exclude funds they had received from
   other September 11 funds to avoid overstatement of the funds involved. In
   addition, the amount of funds distributed includes funds used for
   administrative purposes in some cases. Because of differences in how
   charities defined and reported administrative funds, we did not break out
   administrative funds.

   All information is as of 7/ 31/ 02 unless noted below: a May 2002. d
   August 2001. g January 2002. b April 2002. e December 2001. c August 2002.
   f August 2002. Source: Data provided by charities. Does not include
   distributions planned for the future.

   Relief charities Amount raised Amount distributed Percent distributed

   Port Authority Police Benevolent Association 11,642,025 9,988,001 86 Robin
   Hood Foundation 59,000,000 35, 700, 000 61 Rotary International 1, 800,000
   1,450,000 81 Salvation Army 87,722,612 64, 629, 024 74 The September 11th
   Fund 503,000,000 333,000,000 66 Survivors' Fund 20,164,181 3,627,366 18
   Tides Foundation f 608,717 588,281 97 Twin Towers Fund 180,000,000
   155,000,000 86 Uniformed Firefighters Association 71,000,000 60, 000, 000
   85 Union Community Fund 3,101,980 2,938,000 95 United Jewish Communities
   2,400,000 1,600,000 67 United Way of the National Capital Area g 3,731,411
   3,731,411 100 Windows of Hope 19,000,000 9,000,000 47 World Vision
   12,414,847 11, 787, 900 95

   TOTAL $ 2,449, 407, 352 $ 1, 588,016,005 65

   Appendix III: Information on Federal Victim Compensation Fund

   Page 37 GAO- 02- 1037 September 11 Charitable Aid

   Appendix III: Information on Federal Victim Compensation Fund

   32

   Federal Victim Compensation Fund

    Who is eligible: Any individual who was physically injured or the
   families and beneficiaries of any individual who was killed as a result of
   the terrorist- related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001.

    Payments: The average award under the September 11 Victim Compensation
   Fund-- before the statutorily required collateral offsets-- is projected
   to be more than $1. 8 million per claimant. Although it is difficult to
   determine the amount of collateral sources (e. g., life insurance) each
   claimant will have, the Special Master who oversees the fund believes the
   average payout after collateral sources will be approximately $1. 5
   million per claimant. Charitable aid received by families is not taken
   into account in determining award amounts.

    Total estimated expenditures: Over $5 billion.

    Applications: Filing deadline is December 2003.

   (130189)

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