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Annotated Bibliography
“Costly and Continuous Kars4Kids Ads Disguise Charity’s Real Purpose.”
CharityWatch.org, 10 Mar. 2017, www.charitywatch.org/charity-donating-articles/costlyand-continuous-kars4kids-ads-disguise-charity39s-real-purpose.
An article was written on the site charitywatch.org. The piece reviews Kars 4 Kids and
their lack of transparency on how the donations they receive are used. The article
discusses how despite their advertisements suggesting that all donations are used to
help benefit all children, most of their funds are spent supporting an affiliated
Organization called Oorah. Oorah is a Jewish outreach organization. The article stated,
"In CharityWatch's view, The Kars Kids ads deceive potential donors by failing to inform
them that donated cars will benefit a Jewish organization and kids of the Jewish faith."
The article also touches on Kars4Kid's legal issues due to their lack of transparency
(misleading ads and financial misreporting). This article brings attention to and raises
concerns around the ethics of charitable donations and transparency.
Smith, Bill. "Radio Jingle Is Catchy—and It May Catch You." St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 20
Dec. 2005,
https://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2005/12/lakewoodbased_h.html
In this article, Bill Smith comments on Kurs4kid's catchy radio jingle, which is an ad for a
New Jersey-based vehicle donation program. He highlights the organization’s lack of
information on how the donated funds are used. He also reveals how almost all their
proceeds are going to the religious education program called Oorah, rather than being
used for charitable purposes. He also exposes the financial discrepancies within Oorah.
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The article includes data from Oorah's IRS filings that show how much revenue is being
used on outreach compared to being spent on administrative expenses. Less than 38%
of Oorah’s income is being distributed to the children’s programs that they promote.
Smith writes, "Oorah had gross revenues of almost $2,000,000 yet used only $741,639
of that receive for outreach and for underwriting Jewish education." This source helps
us better understand the controversy that surrounds charities’ financial practices and the
broader implications of such charitable campaigns.
Paddock, Anne. “Kars4Kids and Oorah.” Paddock Post, 7, Nov. 2022,
https://paddockpost.com/2022/11/07/kars4kids-and-oorah/
Anne Paddock’s blog post probes the relationship between Kars4Kids and Oorah,
explaining how both are tax-exempt nonprofits with Oorah being a sister charity of
Kars4Kids. Both organizations operate out of the same office in Lakewood, New Jersey.
Citing her evidence from both Kars4Kids and Oorah’s 2020 IRS Form 990s, Anne states
Kars4Kids raises nearly $100 million annually. 26% being spent on advertisement, 8%
compensating employees and administrative expenses, and 44% being given to Oorah
(with the rest going to a general fund…). Anne writes, “So, if we consider Kars4Kids and
Oorah “one” organization since Oorah relies on Kars4Kids for revenue then the
following information needs to be considered:
About $26 million is spent on advertising
About $14 million is spent on compensation for the approximate 400 employees of both
organizations
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About $7 million on fees for services, office expenses, and repairs of both organizations
About $10 million in grants (including $5 million to the Congregation Oorah and $3
million in scholarships)
In total, the two organizations spend about $57 million of the $100 million, adding the
unused revenue to the general fund, allowing the two organizations to have more than
$150 million in net assets by year-end 2020.” Her blog gives us more insight into
Kar4Kids’ income and how they truly spend it.
“Kars4Kids Official TV Commercial (Kars for Kids Jingle) | Remastered 2019.” Youtube,
uploaded by Kars4Kids, 13, Dec. 2019,
https://youtu.be/F94DBBJjzko?si=1OkC5TDu7ax7VAER
Kars4Kids commercial that aired on TV, as well as the radio, is widely known
nationwide. The advertisement, however, lacks information detailing how they use their
funds. Knowing how they disperse their funds, the commercial and radio ads are
misleading.
“Kars4Kids Program.” https://www.kars4kidsprograms.org/
According to Kars4Kids, they are a nonprofit organization whose focus is on
fostering the development of Jewish youth. They provide a wide range of different
services aimed at supporting children’s cultural, academic, and social growth. Some
services they offer include religious instruction, summer camps, cultural activities, tuition
aid, educational programs, and mentorship programs. This source gives us a better
understanding of their mission, as well as their approach to both academic and personal
growth.