I received a call from this group tonight... I immediately tried to locate their activities online and on facebook.
I was told they were based in Michigan... this is all a big fat scam imho.
Please look into this further !
To all concern
I am a left-behind parent whose son was taken and is still held in another country. I have made all the appropriate contacts with the pertinent authorities immediately. Even though I followed all their recommendations and guidelines. The State Dept. and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children did very little other than give me information that is common knowledge. The Central Authorities in both the US and the other country are very shamefully disappointing in assisting parents like me. I did file a Hague Convention application in a timely manner and submitted everything that was required. Still, the country were my son is being held refused to abide by the Hague accord siding arbitrarily with the mother. The Central Authorities did nothing about it. My current attorney has informed me that I could simply resubmit my original case again to the court for a new judicial process since family cases involving children are never a close case . This is something the Central Authorities know nothing about showing you their extent of willingness to help left-behind parents.
With all this said, the ONLY and I repeat again the ONLY organization I found that truly showed me willingness to help me in all aspects this situation entails has been without a doubt the Committee for Missing Children. Not the State Dept., Not my Congressman, Not any other organization by far out there comes close; I have looked and researched for the past four years. The Committee for Missing Children, I will call them CMC for short, should not be judged on their merits of donation solicitation or how many people they help. They have helped me tremendously. How many parents have you help for instance??? well??? Name one organizations that has helped parents bring their children home and funded their every need to accomplish this. To help parents like myself involved in Hague cases a lot of cost is incurred over time in litigating these cases. Who and I repeat again to you Who else is willing to help with the tab???? I can tell you easily: NOBODY ! The CMC has been the only organization assisting me all the way and is still helping me after all this time and not giving up. Next time all those who made/and or make negative comments about CMC remember your donations did indeed helped a parent and not just me, but other parents as well in a very thorough way; not just giving advise and a penny or two.
Thank you
JHU
How this company (not a charity!) can keep it's non-profit status is beyond me. It is criminal to give 11% to the charity and keep 89% for fundraising, salaries, etc. They should be ashamed to call anyone for a donation. There are other ligitmate nonprofit associations for missing children that GIVE 89% to the charity.
Review from CharityNavigator
These people have been sapping my elderly mother for a few years now. They should be ashamed.
Review from CharityNavigator
This charity is nothing but a vehicle to provide a job for incompetent individuals who found them. This charity has been RED FLAGGED by the Georgia Attorney General as a SCAM CHARITY. This charity received over 2.5 million in donations, invested over 80% of its receiopts in furthering marketting for more donations. This charity has also on the WATCH LIST Charity navigator and the Atlanta BBS who habe give them ZERO scores. On a very sordid note, I have personal knowledge of the CEO of this Charity being in cahoots with the person in Germany who abducted a child from the US. He was instrumental in revoking the arrest warrants issued in the USA for the abductor.
How Much Good Does A $20 Donation Do?
$20 * 15% * 12% = $0.36
15% of the contributions raised by Merit Fundraising, LLC , a Commercial Fundraiser, were returned to or retained by the charity client(s).
12% of the Charity , The Committee for Missing Children, Inc., total expenses were devoted to program services
Information Gathered from The Secretary of State of Washington State's website:
The Commercial Fundraiser: http://www.sos.wa.gov/charities/search_detail_cfr.aspx?cfr_id=25784
The Charity: http://www.sos.wa.gov/charities/search_detail.aspx?charity_id=6983
Review from CharityNavigator