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South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond announced the thirteenth annual Scrooges and Angels for 2008.

The Angels honored represent organizations that exemplify charitable giving in South Carolina. The Angels recognized, with the percentage of their program expenses that went toward the program activities, are listed below in alphabetical order.

• Animal Protection League of SC, Inc., Hopkins, SC: 93.5 percent
• Careteam, Inc., Myrtle Beach, SC: 95.8 percent
• Carson Scholars Fund, Inc., Baltimore, MD: 88.1 percent
• Country Santa, Pickens, SC: 99.3 percent
• Experience Works, Inc., Arlington, VA: 92.5 percent
• Fatherhood & Families Engagement, Florence, SC: 93.3 percent
• Golden Harvest Food Bank, Inc., Augusta, GA: 95 percent
• Historic Charleston Foundation, Charleston, SC: 85.6 percent
• NAMI of South Carolina, Columbia, SC: 87.2 percent
• Outreach Farm, Inc., Pawleys Island, SC: 98.8 percent

The Angels were selected by review of financial reports submitted annually to the Secretary of State’s Office. The following criteria were considered: the charity must have been established for at least three years; has collected revenue greater than $20,000; 80 percent or more of the revenue must go toward the charities’ program goals; makes good use of volunteer labor; and receives minimal finding in grants. The panel also sought to showcase charities with different missions, and chose charities across South Carolina and the United States.

The designation of Scrooge is based upon the charitable organization’s failure to spend a high percentage of their collections on the stated program activities and/or the high use of paid (professional) solicitors. The Scrooges chosen, with the percentage of their program expenses that went toward the program activities, are listed below in alphabetical order.

• American Police & Sheriff’s Association, Chepachet, RI: 12.7 percent
• Cancer Assistance Network, Gig Harbor, WA: 24 percent
• Children’s Cancer Fund of America, Inc., Powell, TN: 14.4 percent
• Committee for Missing Children, Inc., Lawrenceville, GA: 10.2 percent
• Dakota Indian Foundation, Inc., Chamberlain, SD: 17.8 percent
• Disabled Police Officers of American, Inc., Niceville, FL: 11.4 percent
• Dogs Against Drugs/Dogs Against Crime, Anderson, IN: 10.3 percent
• Firefighters Charitable Foundation, Farmingdale. NY: 11.1 percent
• Foundation for American Veterans, Inc., West Bloomfield, MI: 7.6 percent
• National Vietnam Veterans Foundation, Inc., Alexandria, VA: 11.3 percent

The Scrooges were selected by review of financial reports submitted annually to the Secretary of State’s Office. The following criteria were considered: the charity had given 40 percent or less of the revenue to the charities’ program goals; collected revenue greater than $20,000; had many complaints filed against them; and spent a large amount of money on the use of professional fundraisers rather than volunteers.