Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette today announced his Charitable Trust Section has reached a settlement with Food for the Poor, a large Florida-based charity that solicits nationwide, to settle allegations of deceptive charitable solicitations.
Last December, Schuette alleged that Food for the Poor’s mailings overstated its efficiency when it told donors that “more than 95% of all donations go directly to programs that help the poor.” While denying that its solicitations were deceptive, Food for the Poor has agreed to cease this and other allegedly deceptive language as well as pay $300,000. Of the settlement amount, $175,000 will go to the Food Bank Council of Michigan and $75,000 to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen; both charities distribute food to hungry Michigan families. The remaining $50,000 of the settlement will reimburse the State of Michigan for investigative costs.