Share Your Story. Rating: 5. I'm been a recurring donor to Invisible Children for 4 years and I am so pleased with how they are spending my money and how they keep me updated on how my money is impacting lives in central Africa.
Share this review: Flag review. I interned with Invisible Children for five months. As an organization, their integrity and passion are unmatched. The individuals that make up the team are some of the most inspiring and quirky people I've ever met.
There are very few organizations I trust as much as Invisible Children, and their impact in conflict-affected regions is incredible. Fiona W. I have been a volunteer, employee and board member for various non-profits over the past 32 years.
Invisible Children has captured my heart and the hearts of my husband and four adult children! Each opportunity to volunteer has been a gift to us! Over the past 10 years I have seen IC grow and change the lives of many Ugandans! I appreciate how they respect the time of each volunteer and are very organized. We always accomplish much during hours spent volunteering. This is a great organization!
Rating: 1. My 11 year old son was inspired by the KONY video and saved his allowance for months, which we sent to Invisible Children. He was heartbroken and discouraged to find out several months later that the money does not go to help the children, but rather to an organization that acts as lobbyists.
The video and propaganda by Invisible Children led my son to believe he would be helping children - NOT that the money would be used as salaries for people in the US who raise awareness. I feel they were misleading. We were thrilled that my son felt philanthropic and did extra work around the house to earn money to donate, only to have that thrill turn to sadness. My now 12 year old son is now jaded when suspicious regarding charities. Not a lesson I wanted him to learn.
I first found out about the organization in I was initially impressed by the programs they have in on the ground in Central and East Africa. I also liked how they had options to help that didn't involve just giving money; they also included activism and awareness as a students in particular could be a part of ending the conflict.
I earn my degree in International Relations and focused on international non-profits through much of my time in college. I even did a research paper on Invisible Children in Therefore,I was greatly sadden by critics in who had accept and spread false information. A lot of people don't understand is the purpose of Invisible Children. They clearly state that their purpose is to bring an end to the rebel group, the LRA.
While helping those in Uganda and helping the children is obviously part of that, it is not the primary purpose. The main focus is bringing an end to a conflict that has gone on for 26 years and has affected 5 countries and is being fought for personal gain on part of the rebels. Invisible Children started in and has made many videos in that time, since as they clearly state is the main way they have found effective in raising awareness for this conflict.
I personally recommend that you watch "The Rescue", which was made a few years ago. Comments 1. This is a bizarre and completely inaccurate review. I am very suspicious behind the motive for posting something so blatantly false. Invisible Children, as every registered non-profit in the US, is required by law to have their financials reviewed by a 3rd party auditing firm and posted online. Rating: 3. My first experience with Invisible Children was when 'Kony ' first came out. I was in high school and I held a rally at my school for the cause.
When all the controversy about Invisible Children came out, I did my own independent research and I found out some things about Invisible Children that I didn't really like. I found out that a portion of their funds doesn't actually go to the children in Uganda. This surprised me because everything I had read before was painting them out to be a very financially sound company.
Instead of this turning me off to Invisible Children completely, I did some thinking about what I wanted to believe. I figured out that Invisible Children is such a new organization and they are trying to accomplish something major for our time. I believe that they shouldn't have done some things and maybe should have done others, but they are a good organization with good intentions. Maybe people who think they are wrong should stop and look back at the good things that they have done: they have helped thousands of children return to normal society and be happy again, they have helped the Ugandan military significantly, and they have gotten people interested in an important cause.
This, to me, is the true purpose of a charity. Rating: 4. Throughout my experience researching Invisible Children, I felt many mixed feelings about whether I support them or if i am against them. Even though i discovered a few unpleasing facts about who they are supporting and what they choose to spend the bulk of their income on.
I highly support their main cause however. I found out about Invisible Children when I watched the video "Kony ", which greatly encouraged me to take action and help in the fight against child-warfare and abduction. I believe that their campaign strategy is very effective in the sense that their target audience gets a view of who and what they will be fighting for by donating to their organization.
They make their supporters feel like they are part of a family and make them feel powerful. So all in all, I definitely support Invisible Children and all that they stand for. In September I found out about IC, and their poor financial record that many people claim.
According to my research, all information on financial data can be found on IC website. I feel like its important to see number not percent. IC their main mission is to bring Kony to justice. Personally I would not support their mission just because I live world away, and I rather support some other organization that work with the Orphans. There are many different people and I think someone will support their mission, because they are fighting for a good.
As a history and political science student looking to go to law school, I have this tendency to watch what's going on in the world. In March, I saw Invisible Children's viral video "Kony", spark many young students like me to take action against the crimes warlord Joseph Kony committed against the people of Uganda. Looking deeper into the situation over the last several months, I have come to the conclusion that although Invisible Children has a good heart, motivations, and character as a non-profit organization; they take a simplistic view of a very complex political situation in Uganda.
Yes, Kony is a problem, but he is not the whole problem. If an actual government infrastructure isn't there to democratically and peacefully govern Ugandans, then there is every chance of history repeating itself. Another warlord--like Kony--can arise in a similar chaotic political situation if nothing is done to fix the current government.
I understand that as a political science major you are hip to what going on in the world, so thank you for your evaluation of the strategy to stop the LRA something not only being pursued by Invisible Children. Here are a few programs IC funds in collaboration with the groups above: the construction of safe surrender sites, defection messaging, HF security networks, Child soldier rehabilitation, advocacy, policy, micro-finance initiatives, scholarships.
What you are proposing is that your evaluation of the work IC does is better than all of these respected institutions? I think that is a little bold and mis-guided of you? Marcus W. Over the past few months, many people have taken issue with the allocation of Invisible Children's finances, accusing it of being an unproductive organization at best and a scam at worst.
However, to argue against IC's financial distribution is to miss the point of what they're trying to accomplish.
It has been widely assumed that Invisible Children is meant to send aid overseas and single-handedly precipitate the capture of Joseph Kony. The fact that this isn't the strategy that IC has taken is what has stirred up so much controversy. Much of IC's efforts have been involved in spreading the word about Kony.
Their strategy is that the more people who know, the sooner Kony will be captured. As a result, With all this in mind, I just don't feel like it's an appropriate argument to say that Invisible Children is a scam considering all the good they've done.
Personally, I was a skeptic from the beginning of the campaign as I personally thought that the video oversimplified a very complex problem. However, I disagree with anyone who argues absurd claims such as the very popular assertion that too much money is being spent on top management. What I cannot figure out is the fact that the members who make these statements did so on Charity Navigator, a web site where they can easily read the facts. Invisible Children is a young non-profit that will work out certain specs but as for now, the facts are clear that in comparison with well-known and respected non-profits they stand reliable.
Invisible Children is a young nonprofit organization with a lot of room for growth, but a lot of its bad reputation is misplaced or focused too heavily on the Kony campaign or the founder. I believe that this organization is doing well, but could do much better, if given the time. This is a nonprofit with a campaign of raising awareness and political pressure, which requires a heavy focus on media and personal image, which explains so much of their profits are focused on media and maintenance.
I intend to investigate both sides of the story more thoroughly before I make a concrete decision, but I don't think IC is as terrible as I've been told. I first learned about Invisible Children when some of my friends were wearing the Kony shirts. I didn't think much about the organization until I saw the film, Kony Immediately after watching the film I wanted to buy the action kit and get involved in the campaign.
I was hungry for more information, so I started to do some of my own research. I soon realized that the organization that seemed to be so passionate and honest was far from what they portrayed in the film. Then it suddenly hit me- Invisible Children lured in their audience through propaganda, and I was guilty of falling into the trap myself. They manipulated the audience in the film by simplifying the problems in Uganda to one man, the infamous warlord Joseph Kony.
The film made me want to be a part of the Kony team, and I think that was their goal all along. I decided to do some research. Through the IC website and some other sources I came to my own conclusion. To be honest, many of the accusation made against IC are true. However, it is how IC has responded to the criticism and what they are doing now that has led me to give this organization a positive review.
Its obvious that the company, though far from perfect, is willing to learn from their past mistakes. All of their information is posted on their website.
No deception or over simplification, only honesty and passion for a cause. Invisible Children has the potential to make a great impact if others are willing to invest in them. They deserves a second chance, same as the children they are trying to help in East and Central Africa. I would definitely consider supporting this honest, improving organization. The actions and motives of Invisible Children have been a huge topic of discussion from the time the viral video Kony was uploaded.
After watching it, I found myself asking a lot of questions. I have thoroughly researched the organization and I found some interesting facts. The problem with this however is President Obama sent U. My problem with U. Involvement is that if Kony isn't found soon, I could see the U. If this is the case then what motives are behind I.
The children are the main focus. I do support I. Rating: 2. I have been doing research on Invisible Children for months. I think that Invisible Children definitely is a pure organization with a good heart, but I also have a hard time supporting how the organization goes about fixing the Joseph Kony problem.
Invisible Children goes about trying to get rid of Kony mainly just by making him known. Until Invisible Children gets new tactics on how to stop Kony, I am not sure I would donate to them again.
Besides trying to help arrest Kony they provide many beneficial programs in Northern Uganda. For example, Mend teaches the skill of tailoring to women and provides counseling for the trauma they have experienced; another program Schools for Schools makes education more accessible to many children living in the area.
Both of these programs are helping strengthen the weak economy of Uganda. While it is hard to look past many of the critiques in the media about Invisible Children, the fact that they are indeed changing the lives of many harmed by Kony shines through.
Personally that is enough for me to consider supporting their organization. I first heard of Invisible Children when a friend sent me the Kony video.
I was hooked just like many were, however, once the incident with Jason Russell happened, I was skeptical. Although, later I gave I. I also did some research on whether or not it was a trustworthy organization. According to ethical fundraising books and an article from the Better Business Bureau, I.
For example, they provide all their financial statements and show what percentages are going to fundraising, paying employees, schools in Uganda etc. Yes, Jason Russell was careless in some of his choices, but I. There are plenty of other responsible employees of I. I made no initial action however to support IC, but instead critiqued both positive and negative aspects of this organization and their mission.
Undoubtedly, IC has an admirable goal with the intention of saving thousands of lives from the Central African region. But, after watching the mission progress, I now find the emotional appeal of Invisible Children is no longer effective.
The mission of Kony has surely been to raise awareness of Joseph Kony and the LRA from the beginning, but IC now overlooks the poor and broken people of third-world nations that were displayed so explicitly in "Kony ".
This organization needs to be about the children. By being well informed and doing extensive research on the main issues of the organization of Invisible Children, as well as watching Kony , I have come to the conclusion that for being a young organization they have done a very good job. They have not only reached but exceeded their main goal, which was to capture the attention of literally the entire world. They have made good use of their resources by using the media, campaigns, advertisements and protests.
In the beginning I was skeptical of the trustworthiness of the organization due to the fact that the media bashed Invisible Children by what happened to Jason Russell, not knowing that it was due to a mental breakdown. Even though they have not resolved their financial management issues, I believe, for the time being, they are doing an excellent job, considering they are a young organization and all the experiences they have already been through. Their future looks bright.
That to me is the main problem that this organization has, which no clear objective. I feel uneasy not knowing precisely where my money is going and how it is going to be used. Would definitely not recommend Invisible Children as a quality organization to commit to. My first experience with Invisible Children was coming across the Kony video on Facebook. I watched it and my heart was torn for the children of Uganda, so I decided to research this organization a bit more. Shockingly, I was confronted with many controversies about the leaders, mission and finances of IC.
I spent the next few months dissecting and researching to discover whether there were truths in those claims about IC. I continued to learn that a multitude of the other claims were just due to false rumors and were not true.
I am now seriously considering supporting this organization and fully believe it deserves your support as well. Having been a volunteer for Invisible Children and researched Invisible Children as well as Kony , my opinion of the organization has made a drastic change. Invisible Children is not helping Uganda by trying to get the Ugandan government to shift its focus onto Joseph Kony, because Uganda has larger problems than Kony.
Uganda needs to put their time, effort, and money towards making their nation stronger, and by becoming stronger, then going after Kony. I have volunteered with Invisible Children, and will continue to, I just do not agree with Kony and their goals. When I first saw the film Kony , I was inspired to act to save the people who were being affected by Joseph Kony. I decided to research the organization to make sure they were worthy of my monetary and moral support. My conclusion after researching is, first of all; IC has questionable and unorganized finances according to their website.
Not only that, but through the showing of Kony , IC manipulates the facts they present, which causes them to be perceived as untrustworthy.
In conclusion, although I fully agree that the people of Africa should have a better life; after my research, it is my opinion that Invisible Children is an unworthy organization to support. There will always be an organization that is not perfect or that will be criticized by the public. The problem is that Joseph Kony is no longer in Uganda. Jason Russell even confirmed it in Kony video. It may seem like a wasteful effort chasing someone who is no longer there, but as long as everyone remember that there is a criminal on the loose then one of I.
Kony maybe out of Uganda, but one of the important things is to remember that he is still out there. This organization is doing well on getting everyone to remember that Kony still lives. This is an organization despite their flaws in some areas that deserves some support and attention. They got my support. When I was in high school, four members from Invisible Children came to talk about the pressing issue in Uganda regarding the exploitation of children at the hands of Kony and the LRA.
I was skeptical at first because this organization was fairly new and concerns were raised pertaining to how effective this organization is with their finances. However, after doing personal research about this organization, I found that their cause is honorable and that they should be given a chance because they are willing to take action and make a permanent difference for these children. No child should have to suffer or ever be ignored when they are being exploited and robbed of their dignity which is why I support this organization.
Like most people, after watching the Kony video for the first time, it left me with a sense of compassion and a desire to take action. However, after doing a more thorough research on this NPO and it's ways of going about and solving Uganda's problem with Kony and the LRA, it would not be the best organization to invest time and money on. Where does all the money go? According to the Invisible Children's website, based on the financial statements, Personally, even based on this alone, I wouldn't donate to IC.
Nonetheless, it is ultimately your decision if this organization is worth supporting. Although Invisible Children has been and still is a successful non-profit organization, I feel that they may have missed some steps along the way.
Their mistakes as an organization has raised a huge question, do we see where all the money goes? They only became financially transparent upon demand to do so. A huge issue I have is with some information I came across during months of research. I found that IC provided information via a spying operation to Ugandan authorities. This information was on the Museveni regime.
The U. The Ugandan officials arrested the men involved and they were executed via death penalty. If I support IC do I now support the death penalty in foreign affairs my country should have no role in?
Invisible Children is an organization for a good cause. They may have some flaws, but the organization as a whole has good motives. I am sure that Invisible Children wants to have a positive relationship with the general public, and is doing all they can do within their power to make everyone happy. However, the truth of the matter is that Invisible Children is a charity organization, and they cannot live up to that standard. If you have further questions please feel free to visit the Invisible Children website and click on the questions and answers page.
I believe Invisible Children is an organization worth supporting. When I first saw the video Kony , I did not like the organization and what it stood for because I was evaluating the movie and not the organization itself. As I researched the organization in depth my opinion of the motives of the organization changed. I looked at the bigger picture which is getting Kony noticed so that he is one step closer to being captured,and the abduction of children are put to rest.
Invisible Children is a work in progress and there is always room for growth. I am aware that Invisible Children has questionable motives regarding the Kony video but Invisible Children is a growing organization that realizes their mistakes and are learning from them which was stated in the recent video "Move. For this very reason I will consider supporting this organization. There is no other charity that has done more to support the end of the LRA conflict in the last 10 years.
I've watched this organization's work since and also have been to N. The organization is not just about rehabilitation work they also spend money on Advocacy and Awareness and some have pointed this out as a problem but to me that is a nearsighted evaluation.
The political players that have the power to influence this conflict need to feel the pressure from the people so that is why advocacy campaigns are so important.
If you want to put a band aide on the situation you can give money to groups that only do rehab work in Africa but i would advise to evaluate if the there is more needed for lasting change, which is what i feel is the case with the LRA that started in N. At the same time, there were many criticisms surrounding the organization. Many of these criticisms came from money and amounts of donations.
They also should release yearly financial reports, which IC has done since Ultimately, I would suggest that everyone should research for themselves before donating to any organization; but, I will definitely support them again and encourage others to as well!
Along with the rest of the general public, I was blown away when the viral video "Kony " outlines the horrible war crimes that Joseph Kony committed. However, I did want to research this campaign and the reasons behind it on my own. After researching IC, I realized that their organization was in some ways helping the people in Uganda. However their is still much room for improvement with this organization. The video shows posters apparently printed for the Kony campaign that display Kony together with Adolf Hitler and Osama bin Laden.
The same is true for the comparisons made with the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide in the video. Last but not least, Joseph Kony is depicted as number 1 on the list of International Criminal Court suspects, suggesting that he is the worst on the list of the court and that this was the reason why the court indicted him first. The truth is, Joseph Kony is number 1 on the list because he happened to be the first person indicted because the ICC saw him as an easy target, a convenient first case to arrest and convict quickly to show the world that the Court could deliver.
But let me get to the point. The advocacy campaign to stop Kony is a step in the right direction, but it does not address the real problems on the ground and it does not offer the right solutions. Firstly, Kony fled into the bushes of the DRC and CAR after refusing to sign the peace agreement negotiated during the Juba talks between and It would go beyond the scope of this article to trace the reasons for that, but his fear of being arrested by the ICC after signing played a role in it.
Former LRA officers have convincingly assured me that Kony is now in the bush mainly to hide from the ICC and a number of states, now including the US, who want to capture or kill him. According to their words Joseph Kony is using his remaining men and the abducted children and women as human shields to protect him from being captured or getting killed.
So the very pressure to arrest Kony generated by advocacy campaigns like this is actually contributing to him keeping up a steady stream of abductions.
Secondly, as I have described elsewhere , the US troop deployment might actually help to arrest Kony, but not in its current form. Thirdly, the advocacy campaign is once again only targeting the symptoms of a deeper problem. Joseph Kony and the LRA exist because the marginalisation of the people of northern Uganda sparked a number of rebellions in the late s, among them the LRA.
They could not be defeated for two decades because the Government of Uganda continued to marginalise and displace the population in the north instead of protecting civilians in order to gain their trust and support in the fight against the LRA.
Kony is able to wage his brutal campaign until this very day because large patches of south-western CAR, north-eastern DRC and Southern Sudan are ungoverned, do not have any infrastructure, and can only be described as one big security vacuum.
Once Kony is removed from the battlefield, armed bandits or other rebel groups will sooner or later his place and the slaughtering in this part of the world will just go on as long as the real problems are not tackled. It is like taking painkillers instead of treating the cancer.
I could fill half a page with the acronyms of rebel groups that have been active in the region during the last decade alone. By the time the next rebel group terrorises the region, Invisible Children will probably have found another war theatre that is more en-vogue and has a new enigmatic villain, like Kony, who is the perfect target for advocacy campaigns.
To conclude, the Kony campaign is a reminder why we should see advocacy campaigns to interfere in conflicts with some scepticism, no matter how good the cause remember the Save Darfur campaign that managed to completely distort the facts on the ground and the causes of the conflict? It also challenges us to think of ways how to design advocacy campaigns that mobilise many people Kony seems to be very successful in that without dumbing down the problem and its purported solution.
It also answers some of the criticism raised in this post. For reasons of balance I would like to link it here.
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