Walker Cancer Research Institute, Inc., a Maryland-based charity, made a $375,000 voluntary payment to the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
TRENTON -- A charity from Maryland investigated for its fundraising practices has agreed to donate $375,000 to the Cancer Institute of New Jersey in New Brunswick, the state Attorney General's Office announced Friday.
Walker Cancer Research Institute, Inc. also agreed to reimburse the state Division of Consumer Affairs legal costs of $95,000. Walker made no admissions of wrongdoing, according to a statement from acting Attorney General Robert Lougy.
"The Division keeps vigilant watch over the charitable organizations operating in New Jersey to ensure that they are following the law and applying contributions properly," said Steve Lee, acting Director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. "The Division will act to ensure that contributions are being spent as charities promised and donors intended."
The Division's investigated Walker's fundraising activities and how it allocated money for direct-mail appeals compared to what it spent on the programs it supports, according to Lougy's statement.
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Charity Navigator gave Walker 24.35 out of 100 after evaluating it for its transparency and financial management practices in 2014, the most recent information available. The organization raised $10.7 million in contributions and earned $306,000 in program revenue, and spent about $410,000 on programs, $551,000 on administration and $9.1 million on fundraising.
A call to Walker's office in Aberdeen, Md. was not returned.
As part of the settlement, Walker Cancer Research agreed to change some of its accounting practices, submit financial statements to the state, and clearly state in its direct mail solicitations how much money is used for charitable purposes, according to Lougy's statement.
Jennifer Micco, supervising investigator, in the Division's Office of Consumer Protection led the state's investigation.
The Cancer Institute, affiliated with Rutgers University, will use the funds for its Precision Medicine Research Program, its Stacy Goldstein Breast Cancer Center Research Program, or both, according to Lougy's statement.
Research charities using the division's website: at www.state.nj.us/lps/ca2/charities/
Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
