Eric Friedman, CFA, FSA, EA, is the author of Reinventing Philanthropy: A Framework for More Effective Giving, and volunteers with The Life You Can Save, an organization dedicated to making it easier for donors to find effective charities. Friedman is an investment consultant and actuary in Chicago. He graduated from Stanford University with bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and economics, and earned a master's degree in actuarial science from the University of Iowa.
It is easy to be outraged at the alleged fraudulent activity of charities like the National Children’s Leukemia Foundation. However, the easiest way to improve charitable giving is for donors to do their research and target their donations to where they will do the most good.