The Amateur Financier

(It’s time once again to drum up some support for deserving charities.   This time, it’s one that I’ve heard quite a bit about in various media, which focuses, interestingly enough, on fixing childhood facial deformities.  It’s an interesting mission, rather more narrow than most of the other groups we’re covered so far.  Still, that makes them no less deserving, and I think Operation Smile would be well served with some more positive press.)

Charity: Operation Smile, International

Website: www.operationsmile.org

Organization: Operation Smile is an independent 501(c)(3) organization.  Contributions are deductible from taxable income according to IRS guidelines.

Goals: Operation Smile aims to fix childhood dental deformities.  They also work more broadly to develop health care systems in underdeveloped parts of the world and work to train health care service people in those areas.

Classification: The NTEE classification on Guidestar lists Operation Smile as a Surgery, Health and Rehabilitative, and Children’s Services charity.

BBB Report:  Operation Smile meets nineteen of twenty Standards for Charity Accountability as set out by the BBB.  These standards ensure that there is adequate oversight, methods of measuring effectiveness, use most of the finances toward charitable purposes and engage in proper fund raising.

Operation Smile fails the last standard as they have more than 10% of their board members receiving compensation from the organization, leading to a potential conflict of interests.  There are also paid members with parents on the board.  The organization has said they are attempting to correct this in order to meet all the standards; in the meantime, be aware of this conflict for 6 members of the 15 member board.

Expenses: As noted by the Better Business Bureau, Operation Smile spends 23% of its budget on fund raising and 4% of its budget on administrative expenses.  It brought in $52 million dollars during 2007.

You can donate to Operation Smile here.

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This week is a first for the Charity Spotlight.  I’ve actually donated some money to the American Cancer Society (at least indirectly, by sponsoring one of my former professors in the Relay for Life).  I’ve been debating whether I want to make a point of donating at least some money to all the charities that I feature here in the Charity Spotlight.  On one hand, it would help out some charities that I support and appreciate.  It would be a more tangible way to show how I feel about the work that they do.

On the other hand, I am in between jobs at the moment, and money is rather tighter than it used to be.  On the other, other hand (yes, I have three hands), even a small donation of $25-50 could make quite a difference in the hands of a good charity, and I could get by with one or two hundred dollars less each month.  It’s quite a conundrum, and I’ll have to give it some thought.  For now, though, let me encourage anyone reading this to donate to the American Cancer Society.

Charity: American Cancer Society (ACS)

Website: www.cancer.org/

Organization: The American Cancer Society is an independent 501(c)(3) organization.  Contributions are deductible from taxable income according to IRS guidelines.

Goals: The American Cancer Society

Classification: The NTEE classification on Guidestar lists the American Cancer Society as a Human Service Organization; Community, Neighborhood Development, Improvement; and Cancer group.

BBB Report:  The American Cancer Society meets all twenty Standards for Charity Accountability as set out by the BBB.  These standards ensure that there is adequate oversight, methods of measuring effectiveness, use most of the finances toward charitable purposes and engage in proper fund-raising.

Expenses: As noted in the BBB Report, the American Cancer Society spends 11% of its income on fund-raising and 14% on administrative expenses. Their total income for 2006 was 431 million dollars.

My Contributions: $50 (via their Relay for Life fundraiser)

You can donate to the American Cancer Society here.

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Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America is one of the perennially popular organization.  It’s hard to disagree with the goal of pairing up young boys and girls in troubled situations with adult mentors.  Heck, they were even the subject of an episode of The Simpsons; you can’t get more culturally relevant than that.  With that, let’s take a closer look at the organization.

Charity: Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America (BBBSA)

Website: www.bbbsa.org

Organization: Big Brothers/Big Sisters is an independent 501(c)(3) organization.  Contributions are deductible from taxable income according to IRS guidelines.

Goals: Big Brothers/Big Sisters matches up low income or at risk kids with caring adult mentors for one-on-one support.  Providing adult mentors lowers the risk of drug or alcohol use and encourages school attendance.

Classification: The NTEE classification on Guidestar lists Big Brothers/Big Sisters as a Children’s and Youth Services charity.

BBB Report:  Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America meets all twenty Standards for Charity Accountability as set out by the BBB.  These standards ensure that there is adequate oversight, methods of measuring effectiveness, use most of the finances toward charitable purposes and engage in proper fundraising.

Expenses: As noted by the Better Business Bureau, Big Brothers/Big Sisters spends 6% of its budget on fund raising and 4% of its budget on administrative expenses.  It brought in $27 million dollars during 2007.

You can donate to Big Brothers/Big Sisters here.

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This week, our Charity Spotlight is shining on the Heifer Project. I like this charity in particular because it works to provide low income farmers with farm animals to enable them to provide for themselves and their families. The idea of providing those who don’t have the opportunities we enjoy with the chance to lift themselves out of their dire economic situations appeals to my sense of helping people to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Now, onto my full report:

Charity: Heifer Project International

Website: www.heifer.org

Organization: Heifer International is an independent 501(c)(3) organization, allowing contributions that are made to it to be deducted from the donor’s income tax.

Goals: Heifer International works to provide low income families in the United States and abroad with animals like cows, goats, and chickens, in order to help the recipients build their lives.  They work to educate the recipients about the care of the animals, as well as promoting gender equality and and microloans.

Classification: The NTEE classification on Guidestar lists Heifer International as an International Agricultural Development, Other Food, Agriculture and Nutrition, and Animal Related Activities organization.

BBB Report: United States Fund for the Heifer Project meets all twenty Standards for Charity Accountability as set out by the BBB.  These standards ensure that there is adequate oversight, methods of measuring effectiveness, use most of the finances toward charitable purposes and engage in proper fundraising.

Expenses: As noted by the Better Business Bureau, the Heifer Project spends 18% of its budget on fund raising and 7% of its budget on administrative expenses.

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