Arlington, VA, May 5, 2003 -- The BBB Wise Giving Alliance (Alliance) applauds the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in Madigan (formerly Ryan) v. Telemarketing Associates to enable state government agencies to pursue "… fraud actions when fundraisers make false and misleading representations designed to deceive donors about how their donations will be used."

This is the result that the BBB Wise Giving Alliance advocated in its amicus brief (www.give.org/news/ryanamicusbrief.pdf.) Today's decision is a victory for donors. And, it's a victory for responsible charities that use the donations they receive consistently with the statements made in appeals.

This decision lends support to our belief that upholding the public trust is critical to the success of the non-profit sector. The BBB Wise Giving Alliance will continue to seize opportunities, like this court case, to encourage non-profit organizations to voluntarily demonstrate accountability to the contributing public.