Charities and Financing

Charitable organizations of all sizes are involved in financial crimes: transnational crimes centered on the solicitation, management, investment, and use of financial resources. Charities are the victims as well as the perpetrators of financially oriented crimes. Factors that have all increased such organizations' vulnerability to transnational financial crimes include the growing international outreach of many charitable organizations; the use of computers, the Internet, and online banking; and the reliance on outside commercial fund-raising companies. The link between charitable organizations and the financing of terrorist organizations has come under increasing scrutiny since the September 11, 2001 (9/11), terrorist attacks. Charitable organizations' roles in transnational financial crimes have resulted in increased regulatory scrutiny and demands for public accountability.