CHARLOTTE, N.C. — So far, more than 76 million people have seen a viral video, and now it's been screened in a local Charlotte middle school.
The video is called Kony 2012, and it's aimed at exposing an African leader accused of forcing children into war.
The video, created by a nonprofit called Invisible Children, may be getting a lot of views, but it's also prompting a lot of questions.
"If you're moved by what you see in the video and you want to help, realize that they haven't been as transparent as we ask charities to be," Charlotte Better Business Bureau President Tom Bartholomy said.
The national BBB has contacted Invisible Children 18 times over the past six years for specific financial information.
The group posts financial statements and tax returns on its website, but Bartholomy said they don't clarify how the group is spending some of its millions.
"Well, they're not broken down in a way that an analyst like we have here could say, ‘OK, this is what's going to program expenses,’" he said.
Despite the criticism, James Martin Middle School welcomed a free screening for students on Tuesday.
There were several posters in the hallways selling some of the "Kony" merchandise, like bracelets and T-shirts.
Eyewitness News asked Principal Ayinde Rudolph if he approved of the video asking students to donate when the Better Business Bureau has issued a warning about the group.
"If our kids choose to donate, then that's on them," he said. Rudolph said many of the children recently studied Africa and also read a book about children forced to serve as soldiers.
"Our only cause here... is there's a clear violation of human rights that's taken place, and we want to make sure that our kids are aware of it," he said.
In a new video, the group's CEO is firing back.
While the paperwork isn't what the BBB requires, CEO Ben Keesey said the group is being open with its financials.
"Any claims that we don’t have financial transparency or that we're not audited every year by an independent firm or that we don’t have financial integrity, just aren't true," he said.
More information:
WSOC
