Very intersting read on Locks of Love

[Darkhorse1]

If people feel the urge to donate their hair to locks of love, perhaps send them to the BBB to check out their poor rating.

http://charityreports.bbb.org/public/Report.aspx?CharityID=1839

Interesting read. They made a lot of money for themselves.

[Copasetic]

Where does it say that they received a poor rating? They met 19/20 standards for accountability. Thats not exactly "poor", is it?

[IndigoInk]

I'm confused, maybe I'm reading it wrong, but it doesn't seem like they got a bad rating. Where are you seeing that?

[Darkhorse1]

From what I read, they did NOT meet the 20 standards that they require as a charity. Unless I mis-read it, which wouldn't surprise me because I'm special ;)

From the information I got, there was a lot of 'paying themselves' that I saw.

[Beatnik Guy]

This is interesting:
Total income $2,182,550
Program expenses $960,681
Fund raising expenses 6,343
Administrative expenses 131,075

Total expenses $1,098,099

Income in Excess of Expenses 1,084,451
Beginning net assets 2,326,297

Ending net assets 3,410,748
Total liabilities 16,835

Total assets $3,427,583

In other words, LoL has a large pot of cash. :evil:

[IndigoInk]

Locks of Love (LoL) meets the remaining 19 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Out of 20 that's pretty good IMHO

Also I guess them having extra funds doesn't bother me so much as what are they doing with them? A GM making 55K isn't unreasonable. Also do they have requests for wigs that they claim they cannot meet due to funding or something?

[edensapples]

There is a NY Times article on this I believe, changed my view of LoL completely.

[edensapples]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/06/fashion/06locks.html

it starts off as a nice story... then some information on LoL is revealed

[edensapples]

Also, this angers me:


The idea that donated hair can benefit a gravely ill woman or child is so pervasive that some long-haired people even report being harassed for not chopping off their locks. Heidi Woeller, 47, an administrative assistant at a hardware company in DeKalb, Ill., whose hair reaches the back of her calves when worn loose, recalled that at an antiques fair last summer two women asked if she intended to donate. When she said no, they berated her, insisting she set an example. “They’re basically asking, ‘What are your charitable intentions this year?’ ” Ms. Woeller said.

Perhaps they would be less adamant if they could visit Ms. Coffman in the Locks of Love office in Florida. Every day the hanks of hair arrive, filling some 10 postal bins, representing the best intentions of donors, but so much of it destined for the trash.

“A check would be easier for me,” Ms. Coffman said. “But would the donors get out of it what they do? No.”

[Anje]

The Squidoo article (http://www.squidoo.com/locksoflove) on LoL is a bit old, but it goes through LoL's promotional figures and is rather illuminating as well.

[enfys]

Whoa. I didn't know the wigs aren't even free. They're priced on a sliding scale. Oh this company makes me mad.

A synthetic wig surely wouldn't meed replacing every 18 months, would it?

[Beatnik Guy]

“We created this monster because people get so much from it,” said Madonna Coffman, the president of Locks of Love. “They get the attention. They get a warm and fuzzy feeling. They feel they’re going to help a child.”

[edensapples]

Whoa. I didn't know the wigs aren't even free. They're priced on a sliding scale. Oh this company makes me mad.

A synthetic wig surely wouldn't meed replacing every 18 months, would it?

Wellll... my anwer to this is yes. I am a professional clown so I use my synthetic wig just about every weekend, and yes I do have to replace it after a year or so. If a synthetic wig was worn every day, it would probably have to be replaced sooner.

However, should they be charging money for something that is supposed to be charity? I don't think so.

Does the "Make a Wish" foundation charge ill children to make their wish come true? (no)

Is there a sliding scale of wishes.. $500 if you want to meet Weird Al, $10,000 if you want to meet Cher?

[akurah]

Where does it say that they received a poor rating? They met 19/20 standards for accountability. Thats not exactly "poor", is it?

I don't know. Considering that the website indicates
"Does not meet one or more standards.
This charity does not meet one or more of the 20 standards for Charity Accountability. Find out more..." in big bold letters at the top of the page, it reads more like "Warning, this isn't a legit charity" than a "Hey, this charity is so good that it meets 19 out of 20 standards!"

[RancheroTheBee]

I don't know. Considering that the website indicates in big bold letters at the top of the page, it reads more like "Warning, this isn't a legit charity" than a "Hey, this charity is so good that it meets 19 out of 20 standards!"

I think that's essentially the basis of most people's skepticism, especially when there's a considerable discrepancy between their income and current assets. Most people respect a non-profit organization, and when an organization has such a staggering amount of money with absolutely no explanation, it begins to become suspicious.

Also, they've received a lot of criticism for the guidelines of hair donation*, and how much of it is discarded, which must upset a lot of the people who donate, as well as the "why is is better than synthetic?" argument.

Personally, I can understand why someone would want to eschew the use of a synthetic wig. It looks rather fake. At the same time, as I have made rather clear at times, I find it sad that people are so afraid of being seen without hair, either by a medical standard or by choice, but to ask that people stop being jerks would be very naive of me.

*: Let's be honest; hair that is too short, mouldy, gray, wet, damaged, processed, etc, is not going to be suitable wig-making material for wigs that are intended for children under the age of 18.

[edensapples]

I agree with all of the above, including

*: Let's be honest; hair that is too short, mouldy, gray, wet, damaged...



and then I wonder who gets to decide what processed, etc, is?

is hair that has been flat ironed but never dyed not going to be suitable wig-making material for wigs that are intended for children under the age of 18?

how about hair that has been hennaed?

what about cassia?

[RancheroTheBee]

and then I wonder who gets to decide what processed, etc, is?

is hair that has been flat ironed but never dyed not going to be suitable wig-making material for wigs that are intended for children under the age of 18?

how about hair that has been hennaed?

what about cassia?

I would assume that any chemical process would count, even those that are natural, though I don't know how they would detect cassia or henna as easily. Perhaps you are made to fill out some sort of form beforehand.

And flat-ironing isn't a process, in the stricter sense of what makes it considered "processed hair". Processed would be permed, dyed, or chemically straightened hair. You may be rejected if the hair is extremely damaged from the flat-iron, though.

[edensapples]

So let me get this straight.. only ten or more inches of 100% totally dry and non- moldy, virgin hair from a young girl who almost never styles it might be used to make a wig... which may or may not be sold to a patient that may or my not have cancer.





awesome.

[RancheroTheBee]

So let me get this straight.. only ten or more inches of 100% totally dry and non- moldy, virgin hair from a young girl who almost never styles it might be used to make a wig... which may or may not be sold to a patient that may or may not have cancer.





awesome.

Yeah, that's pretty much the problem. And it's been questioned as to whether or not the majority of this mythical "perfect" hair ever gets around to being used.

[Eireann]

I've only once been asked whether I plan to donate my hair (only recently has it really been long enough to stand out from the crowd). I told the person that the charities won't take hair that has been processed, and I color my hair, so I can't donate. The person didn't know this fact (I myself didn't know until I joined LHC) and seemed genuinely surprised to hear it. I don't know if it's LOL's fault, or the fault of the make-over shows that push donating long hair or what, but people seem to think that there is a big demand for hair in whatever condition and, according to these articles, there just isn't. Meanwhile, how many of the people harassing longhairs about donating hair ever give blood or have designated themselves as organ donors?

[Nightshade]

So let me get this straight.. only ten or more inches of 100% totally dry and non- moldy, virgin hair from a young girl who almost never styles it might be used to make a wig... which may or may not be sold to a patient that may or my not have cancer.


awesome.

More or less, yeah.

And the thing is, often times they do a bit of color-enhancing on the wigs, so while cassia may be okay, henna is a joke as you'll never change the color.

At least the henna gives me an easy out with LoL asshats, but I usually tend to go the route of "Oh, I considered it, but then looked into it and decided not to."

Of course then they ask why, and then I start talking about the sorts of things in these articles. The mortified looks on their faces gives me hope that they won't hassle anyone else about it.

[Beldaran]

Also, this angers me:

Hmm, that refers to a woman with calf length hair whose name is Heidi W.. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I swear that rings a bell.. :eyebrows:

[Nightshade]

“We created this monster because people get so much from it,” said Madonna Coffman, the president of Locks of Love. “They get the attention. They get a warm and fuzzy feeling. They feel they’re going to help a child.”


Must have missed that (girl on the left):
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/09/06/fashion/06lock600.1.jpg



Or how about this one:
http://tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:3ldV51cJKzr2gM:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Locks_of_Love_Aviano_6.jpg (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/Locks_of_Love_Aviano_6.jpg/800px-Locks_of_Love_Aviano_6.jpg)

[heidi w.]

So let me get this straight.. only ten or more inches of 100% totally dry and non- moldy, virgin hair from a young girl who almost never styles it might be used to make a wig... which may or may not be sold to a patient that may or my not have cancer.





awesome.

LoL serves those who have alopecia. It's less likely that they will serve a patient who has cancer.

Wigs are provided to those who supply their tax forms to show need, and therefore on a sliding scales. All wigs are NOT provided free of charge.

Hair is first culled through, then tossed--up to 60% (if memory from the article serves). Sometimes they have to just throw excess hair that's perfectly fine, away. Then they send remaining hair on to TAYLORMADE, a golf company in California. Then TAYLORMADE culls through it and throws away more. Then TAYLORMADE sends it on to Indonesia (not covered in the article from NY Times linked in at the top of this artice...and I'm the heidi quoted in that article). Indonesia makes the forms/wig. Sends it back.

OK. LoL's website says wigs are valued at $3000-$3500 (or thereabouts). Really? How much is labor in Indonesia? AND they're usually getting some $ from the person/family who is getting a wig....so, really?

Any hair that IS sold, well, they don't track who that goes to (such as the former LoL President who now owns a wig shop in California?) TAYLORMADE sells the hair, and they're quoted in the article as saying that sometimes they have to just clear out the place of excess hair.

So, where does any sold hair go?

So the real deal is that one's hair donation may most likely be thrown away; maybe sold; and least likely end up in a wig on someone's needy head.

Brilliant plan.

Nonprofits ARE allowed to sell and raise funds for their programs. What program is LoL running? None, save one: make wigs. How many have they made in 8 or 10 years? a little over 2000. The article says they get a volume of donations per week. I've heard quotes from say Matrix partner of up to 3000 ponytail donations PER WEEK! The lowest # seems to hover around 800-1000 PER WEEK ponytail donations.....

So you do the math.

Why so few wigs?

It was amazing to learn how much research the author of this STYLE SECTION article did in the NY Times.

heidi w.

[Darkhorse1]

As I originally said, this was more to be an eye opener before people blindly donate their long tresses. It's up to the individual, but information is key to making a good decision.

I would suggest to people to cut, sell their hair and give that money to a charity.

I would think henna/cassia wouldn't be allowed. My hair dresser said my hair couldn't be donated due to sun damage. And gray hairs aren't allowed. I'm not sure why such a strict criteria. I know my hair dresser said that people would have to sort through hair to remove all the damagaged ones. This is why natural hair wigs and extensions are really expensive.

[enfys]

They could at least give the crappy hair to charities that use it to mop up oil spills. I think Matter of Trust (maybe?) is the American one.

That would do a lot more good, helping endangered species than breeding vanity among the sick.

[DaveDecker]

While the official books may be audited (and I'll avoid questioning the reputation of the auditor), there may be inadequate controls regarding receipt and disbursement of hair. It is possible (although again I am not suggesting that it is happening) that the highest quality receipts could be skimmed and sold separately... with the possibility of there being inadequate controls on cash received, also.


This is interesting:

In other words, LoL has a large pot of cash. :evil:

And getting larger at an increasingly rapid rate. Their cash pot went from $2Mil to $3Mil in just one year. :rolleyes:

[Auryn]

They could at least give the crappy hair to charities that use it to mop up oil spills. I think Matter of Trust (maybe?) is the American one.

That would do a lot more good, helping endangered species than breeding vanity among the sick.


How is trying to help one keep a sense of normalcy during an extremely trying time in their life, 'breeding vanity'?

[Patrycja]

I had some friends of mine donate to LoL before I could run my mouth to them.After I share a little bit about the LoL history and what they do exactly, I can literally see my friends faces fall. They dont make it clear that they do make money.