President’s Message

As we again come upon the busiest fundraising season of the year, I urge you to know your charity and donate locally.

You know your spcaLA – you can come to our facilities, meet our staff and volunteers, and see first-hand the work we’ve been doing in our community since 1877. Do you know your other charities as well?

I don’t.

I’m the first to admit it – I often respond with my purse when implored in dramatic commercials to help forlorn children, veterans, or injured animals. We are a generous and empathetic people – how could we not respond?

Scammers prey on our generosity and our compassion – giving little, or none, of the funds raised to those they purport to help. They fool the best of us (check out Anderson Cooper’s “Keeping Them Honest” series).

Sometimes, advertising may lead you to believe a charity supports your local community, when it does not. For example, in animal welfare, the New York City spca – aspca – is not an umbrella organization which funnels funds to other spcas by zip code, as is the case with other real national charities like Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

This holiday season, join me in pledging to donate to existing, legitimate, local organizations that you can visit, talk to, and just see in action.

Charity begins at home. It is only when we stand strong that we can lift another.

Yours truly,

Madeline's Signature

Madeline Bernstein,
President, spcaLA