SC secretary of state: Nominate angel charities

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond wants residents to nominate charities that deserve to be called “angels.”

Hammond is accepting nominations for this year’s Angel awards through Oct. 5.

The awards go to charities that use at least 80 percent of their donations for their charitable purpose, have existed for at least three years, use volunteers and do not rely heavily on government grants or money from other groups.

Letters of nomination for the 2011 Angels must include the name of the charity, the group’s location and contact information, and the reasons why it should be honored.

Along with charitable angels, Hammond also annually alerts residents of so-called scrooges. Those are charities whose financial reports show they spend little on their stated purpose and a lot on professional solicitors.