SHARE:
philanthropy
Florida's Best, Worst Charities
Some are better than others at keeping expenses in check. Here's a statewide roundup.
Watch Your Wallet!
Seven of the 277 Florida charitable organizations ranked by Charity Navigator received the group’s lowest zero-star rating. Five of the seven spend more than 50% of their revenue on fund raising. One, the National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation in Fort Lauderdale, spent $3.7 million on fund raising in 2006 but only $194,141 on programs The group declined to discuss its finances.
Defeat Diabetes Foundation, one of the zero-ranked charities, explains that its fund-raising numbers are high because of its initiatives. Dawn Swidorski, public outreach director, outlines numerous education projects, including distributing diabetes screening brochures in elementary schools, public service campaigns and media outreach, and a “Wake Up and Walk” 10,000-mile walk in which Executive Director Andrew Mandell is meeting with thousands of people across the country. Swidorski concedes that fund-raising costs for the four-person organization are high. “We are working and have been working to turn those numbers around,” she says, adding that the organization relies on an outside fund-raising group that takes a big chunk of the money.
National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation — Fort Lauderdale
| Revenue: | $6,113,206 | |
| Expenses: | $4,094,124 | |
| Program expenses: | $194,141 | 4.7% |
| Administrative expenses: | $208,881 | 5.1% |
| Fund-raising expenses: | $3,691,102 | 90.2% |
| Fund-raising efficiency: $3.40 in fund raising is spent for every $1 raised. |
||
Children’s Charity Fund — Sarasota
| Revenue: | $1,276,837 | |
| Expenses: | $1,307,429 | |
| Program expenses: | $131,711 | 10.1% |
| Administrative expenses: | $112,913 | 8.6% |
| Fund-raising expenses: | $1,062,805 | 81.3% |
| Fund-raising efficiency: 83 cents in fund raising is spent for every $1 raised. |
||
Disabled Police Officers Counseling Center — Niceville
| Revenue: | $627,054 | |
| Expenses: | $612,662 | |
| Program expenses: | $86,126 | 14.1% |
| Administrative expenses: | $13,316 | 2.2% |
| Fund-raising expenses: | $513,220 | 83.7% |
| Fund-raising efficiency: 81 cents in fund raising is spent for every $1 raised. |
||
Disabled Police Officers of America — Niceville
| Revenue: | $727,339 | |
| Expenses: | $783,858 | |
| Program expenses: | $166,242 | 21.2% |
| Administrative expenses: | $39,414 | 5.0% |
| Fund-raising expenses: | $578,202 | 73.8% |
| Fund-raising efficiency: 79 cents in fund raising is spent for every $1 raised. |
||
Defeat Diabetes Foundation — Madeira Beach
| Revenue: | $1,388,450 | |
| Expenses: | $1,669,365 | |
| Program expenses: | $481,016 | 28.8% |
| Administrative expenses: | $141,637 | 8.5% |
| Fund-raising expenses: | $1,046,712 | 62.7% |
| Fund-raising efficiency: 75 cents in fund raising is spent for every $1 raised. |
||
Project Action Foundation — Seminole
| Revenue: | $440,287 | |
| Expenses: | $497,963 | |
| Program expenses: | $293,074 | 58.8% |
| Administrative expenses: | $45,715 | 9.2% |
| Fund-raising expenses: | $159,174 | 32.0% |
| Fund-raising efficiency: 36 cents in fund raising is spent for every $1 raised. |
||
Children’s Relief Network — Deerfield
| Revenue: | $403,121 | |
| Expenses: | $593,321 | |
| Program expenses: | 348,721 | 58.8% |
| Administrative expenses: | $130,605 | 22.0% |
| Fund-raising expenses: | $113,995 | 19.2% |
| Fund-raising efficiency: 29 cents in fund raising is spent for every $1 raised. |
||
Business Beat - Week of May 3rd
