This is a good charity they answered all my questions correctly did the guy I talked to was super nice and honest don't believe everyone on here my experience was awesome and I will continue to donate to them
Besides the legal issues that this charity has encountered, being sued by Brown for deceptive practices and the CBS investigation in 2015, The California Police Youth Charities, Sacramento, runs a softball organization for girls in this area. I am a mother of one of those girls who played for this organization, Team CA. Their mission statement is as follows: "Team CA was created with a vision of providing affordable softball for girls who desire to learn and play the game of competitive softball." I wrote my checks to this charity for her to play what I thought was going to be 'affordable' softball. You see, my husband died 4 years ago, and I being on social security have tried my very best to make sure my daughter who is 16 can continue to play the game she has played since she was 4. After I was laid off from my part time job, I knew I could not send her to all 3 of the out-of-state tournaments, so I made the hard choice to choose 2 of them. The organization had zero empathy for this 'youth in need' and refused to refund my $855 so that she could go to a different team, one less expensive, to play. The CEO of this charity hung up on me after being disrespectful and refusing to help. The IRONY is this is a charity for 'at risk kids'! After doing my research on the credibility of this charity, it is clear that their motives and business practices are far less than reputable and lacks integrity.
This review is regarding this charity's fundraising techniques. I received the high pressure call today where the gentleman on the line said "The reason for our recorded call today is to tell you about..."
I had to stop and ask if he said the call was recorded because he was speaking so fast. I was not asked, nor did I consent to him recording the call. (I believe California does require all parties to consent to a recording.) I looked up the charity online while he continued to rattle off information about the charity, more like a sales pitch than a charity call. I told him I would look into it and decide if it was a charity I wanted to support, but the 0 stars from Charity Navigator made it an easy one to pass up.
I worked for the Telemarketing company that was hired by the charity the California Police Youth Charities.
This charity was sued by the California State Attorney General in 2009 for fraud and misrepresentation. The charity was set up so the employees looked like they worked for the charity so we could say we were employees of the charity and not highly paid fundraisers, plus so we could say 100% of all money raised went to the charity and not a high priced Professional fundraising company. This charity bought a suite for the Oakland Raiders home games which came with about 180 tickets to give to kids and say it was all for the kids. When he execs would spend thousands on alcohol from the donations people sent in.
After the law suit we had to say on the phone we were paid fundraisers from a professional telemarketing company and let people know if and only if they asked that 12% of the funds raised went to the charity.
I write this because I want the citizens of California to be aware of this charity, I was employed as a office manager for 23 years with the telemarketing company. I was never aware of really how much money the company was pocketing. I did not learn this until after the law suit. Since then all but 1 office in California has been shut down and is being called from Texas. Not only have they taken jobs from California and hurt families by being unemployed in the economic times. They want Californians to fill there pockets.
Last I knew there was very little being done with the money being raised to help children, it was used for the CPYC execs to have a paycheck to buy a big house, motorcycles, vacations etc.
A good charity to support is the California cops 4 kids (c4k&c) and communities.They used to be partnered with the CPYC because of the way CPYC ran the charity they moved to Southern Cali. and opened on there own and are a great charity.
Here is proof:
1.from BBB-Government Actions
In May 2009, the California Attorney General's office filed a lawsuit against California Police Youth Charities (CPYC), its executive director and its for-profit fundraisers for, among other things, allegedly falsely promising contributors that 100 percent of donations would go to support the charity's programs help at-risk youth.
In June 2010, a settlement was reached between the CA Attorney General's office, CPYC, and CPYC's for-profit fundraisers.
Restitution:
- The for-profit fundraisers are jointly and severally liable to pay CPYC $200,000 in damages.
- CPYC and their Executive Director, Christopher Eaton, are jointly and severally liable to pay $900,000, as follows:
* To the CA Attorney General-$100,000, for attorney's fees
* Stayed penalties: $800,000 subject to Defendant's compliance with the terms of the settlement
CPYC is permanently enjoined from the following:
- Soliciting contributions for charitable purposes without complying with all federal, state, and local requirements.
- Making any misrepresentation or false statement orally or in writing in connection with any charitable solicitation. This prohibition includes the following misrepresentations made in the course of soliciting on behalf of this charity: nature or purpose of the charitable program activities, the portion of the donation that will be retained by the charity, the portion of the donation what will be directly used for the charitable purposes, that the charity has any connection to or is affiliated with any public safety organization, and that donations will be used for a specific purpose or program if there is no meaningful expenditure for that purpose or program, that donations will benefit persons or organizations in the donor's state or local community unless a substantial portion of the program services are provided in that state or local community.
- Failing to immediately and accurately disclose to the donor solicited the amount of the donation that will go to the charity in response to an inquiry.
- Failing to conspicuously and accurately identify the location of the headquarters of the charity in any written material sent to donors
2. Consumers affairs.com-California Police Youth Charities
Brown today sued Sacramento-based California Police Youth Charities, its executive director and its for-profit fundraisers — National Consultants, Inc. and Public Appeals, Inc. — for falsely promising contributors that 100 percent of donations would go to support the charity's programs to help at-risk youth. In reality, less than 20 percent of the $9 million raised in 2006 and 2007 was spent on charitable programs.
The charity also filed false documents with the IRS and the Attorney General's Office. In 2006, the charity reported that it made almost $1 million in grants, when it actually made grants totaling only $110,000.
Brown seeks a permanent injunction to end these deceptive solicitation practices. He also seeks to recover misappropriated charitable funds and civil penalties in excess of $100,000 from the charity and its for-profit fundraisers.
3. State A.G. link-http://ag.ca.gov/cms_attachments/press/pdfs/n1746_california_police_youth_charities.pdf
Review from CharityNavigator