Q. My mailbox is full of appeals from charities at this time of year. I got a donation request signed by someone named Marlo Thomas? Who is she?
A. The charity in question is St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Actress Marlo Thomas is most-often remembered for a 1960s television series “That Girl.” She is the daughter of entertainer Danny Thomas who founded St. Jude. She serves as the national outreach director for the hospital.
Let’s look up the charity on the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance website. The ALSAC St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is listed as “accredited.” When I clicked on the entry, I saw that St. Jude met all of the BBB’s 20 standards for accountability in the general areas of effectiveness, finance, governance and fundraising.
