Tangle Ari Weitzman interviews Laurie Styron from Charity Watch
Jan 1, 2026
Laurie Styron, the executive director of CharityWatch.org, is dedicated to improving charitable practices with years of expertise in nonprofit analysis. In this discussion, she emphasizes the importance of choosing charities wisely to avoid impulsive donations. Laurie highlights the limits of automated charity ratings, warning of hidden abuses in high scores. She shares practical tips for vetting local charities, and encourages proactive, informed giving strategies. This conversation is essential for anyone looking to make meaningful end-of-year donations.
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Choose The Charity Intentionally
- Choose the charity; don't let the charity choose you at the checkout line.
- Arm yourself with donor best-practices to avoid impulsive donations and pressure.
Automated Ratings Can Mislead
- Automated ratings based only on tax filings can be misleading because filings are often inaccurate or incomplete.
- CharityWatch performs manual audits and adjustments using audited financial statements for reliable ratings.
Real Cases Where Numbers Deceived Donors
- Laurie recounts a cancer charity whose fundraiser funneled most donations to a fundraising company, not breast exams.
- She also notes a household-name charity booked sexual-abuse payouts as program expenses, inflating program ratios.