News reports highlighted the fact that key staffers of Wheels for Wishes (formally, the "Car Donation Foundation") were also owners of two related businesses that were paid a total of $36 million by the charity from 2011 to 2014.
[8] The percent of proceeds donated to charity were cited as "better than average" by California newspaper The Orange County Register.
[9] A 2014 compliance report published by the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General identified William Bigley and Randy Heiligman as "running" the Car Donation Foundation (operating as "Wheels for Wishes").
[10] The report alleged that upwards of 78% of proceeds were spent on fundraising and "overhead", and that because of these high overhead costs the charity was placed on South Carolina's "Scrooge List" and Oregon's "Worst Charity List.
Shortly after the initial report, the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Minnesota ended its relationship with Wheels for Wishes.