Is www.freedegree.net a scam?

Is Invisible Children as scam?

• I am a strong supporter of IC and think what they are doing for the children in Uganda is great. But ever since the Kony 2012 thing came up, everyone is calling them a scam. They weren't a "scam" two years ago.. Why now? Just because they made a viral video? Also, congressman have even worked with them. I can assure you that congressmen would not help Invisible Children and work with them if they were a scam. America even sent in 100 troops to Africa! So, I did read IC's response to all of the hate (http://s3.amazonaws.com/www.invisiblechildren.com/critiques.html ). It tells you all of their financial and other goals and expenses right there. They even organized it in a nice graph for you. Now, I am not saying that it is impossible that IC is a scam. But for the people who DO say it's a scam: prove it! I would like some sort of article or video providing evidence so I can really decide!! I don't want to stop supporting a real charity because people say its a scam, and I don't want to continue to support it if it really IS a scam. Thanks guys!! XXC

• Answer:

  IC is, in my opinion, a scam. Only 31% of their $8,894,632 of donations actually reach charities. Seeing that the three owners of IC drive expensive cars and wear expensive clothes, it can be inferred that most of their revenue is spent on their personal lives. Yes, they do donate a portion of their money. However, many non-profit organizations donate so much more money, and personally, I would rather donate my money to a charity that would put all of it to use. IC gives their 31% of the donations to support multiple troops, including the Ugandan and Sudanese troops. The Ugandan troops continue to rape and kill innocent civilians, and the Sudanese troops recruit child soldiers. Donating your money to fund rape, killing, and further the recruitment of "invisible children" is extremely bad, especially since it's what IC claims to be against. Charity Navigator has rated IC 2 out of 4 stars on accountability. In addition, IC has refused to submit the data about their transactions to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which seems a little sketchy. In addition, IC is teamed with the Ugandan president, President Museveni. President Museveni's cabinet members have been involved with countless scandals, whether it be financial or social. However, Museveni has defended each one, even with a large amount of evidence pointing towards their guiltiness. Though I cannot confirm the accusation that President Museveni has been involved with multiple scandals himself, I have heard multiple people say that he has (Again, don't quote me on this, because I couldn't find an article). Obama volunteered to send 100 troops to Africa. That you are correct on. However, they weren't sent in to help. President Museveni told them that "his country did not need others to fight for them." Thus, the KONY 2012 movement to "raise awareness to make the government do something" is invalid, as the government HAS already "done something," but were turned around by President Museveni--who the IC is teamed up with. In fact, Joseph Kony left Uganda in 2006 and has moved on to Sudan. Why, then, is IC promoting the donation of money through care packages to Uganda? Possibly (or possibly not) coincidentally, IC has been losing popularity recently. I do not have any sources to back me up on the theory that IC is promoting the capture of Kony in Uganda, who's not in Uganda, to gain more revenue, so you can think what you want on that point. I would like to address your statement that "They weren't a scam two years ago.. Why now? Just because they made a viral video? " This is not true. Many people at my school have been aware of the fraudulence of IC for quite a while; my friend left the IC club at my school 5 years ago because of it. I think the reason why all these things are being exposed now is that many more people are talking about IC, and thus others feel the need to point out the fraudulence of the organization. I don't mean to force your opinion on this; you can believe whatever you choose to. Just keep in mind, if you choose to donate, you should read these articles before you decide what organization to donate through. I hope this helps to answer your question[: