Many are explicitly flagging the more vexing look-alikes on their Web sites and advising donors to consult charity watchdogs or state attorneys general.

The independent charity watchdog, Charity Navigator, gives the foundation a rating of two out of four stars.

Legal Loopholes And Regulators' Fears The biggest fear of state regulators and charity watchdogs is that many sites are accountable to no one.

Daniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy, a charity watchdog, says: "There's a certain snobbery.

The cancer case is not the first time that Watson & Hughey's methods have been criticized by law-enforcement officials and various charity watchdogs.

"There's no reason, to my knowledge, why he couldn't release the grants that he's made," said Dan Langan, a longtime charity watchdog in New York.

Notably, the study's authors did not take aim at administrative costs, the favorite whipping boy of charity watchdogs and donors.

Studies of charity watchdogs' methods have raised concerns about the validity of their ratings and suggest they may not be reliable sources for charity ratings.

"Their oversight is different from virtually any other charitable organization," said Daniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy, a charity watchdog.

The American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP), another charity watchdog, agrees.