Standard 6: Board Policy on Effectiveness - Have a board policy of assessing, no less than every two years, the organization's performance and effectiveness and of determining future actions required to achieve its mission.
Evanston Symphony Orchestra Association does not meet this Standard because:
- The board of directors does not have a written policy stating that, at least every two years, an appraisal be done assessing the organization’s performance and effectiveness and determining future actions required to achieve its mission.
Standard 7: Board Approval of Written Report on Effectiveness - Submit to the organization's governing body, for its approval, a written report that outlines the results of the aforementioned performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions.
Evanston Symphony Orchestra Association does not meet this Standard because:
- It has never completed an effectiveness assessment.
Standard 8: Program Service Expense Ratio - Spend at least 65% of its total expenses on program activities.
Evanston Symphony Orchestra Association does not meet this Standard because:
- According to the its IRS Form 990 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2011, the organization spent $100,172 or 61% of its total expenses ($163,386) on program service activities.
Standard 11: Financial Statements - Make available to all, on request, complete annual financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. When total annual gross income exceeds $500,000, these statements should be audited in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. For charities whose annual gross income is less than $500,000, a review by a certified public accountant is sufficient to meet this standard. For charities whose annual gross income is less than $250,000, an internally produced, complete financial statement is sufficient to meet this standard.
Evanston Symphony Orchestra Association does not meet this Standard because:
- It states it does not have financial statements that were reviewed by a certified public accountant (CPA). A review is an accounting service providing some assurance to interested parties as to the reliability of financial data without the CPA conducting an examination in accordance with Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS).
Standard 16: Annual Report - Have an annual report available to all, on request, that includes: (a) the organization's mission statement, (b) a summary of the past year's program service accomplishments, (c) a roster of the officers and members of the board of directors, (d) financial information that includes (i) total income in the past fiscal year, (ii) expenses in the same program, fund raising and administrative categories as in the financial statements, and (iii) ending net assets.
Evanston Symphony Orchestra Association does not meet this standard because the most recent annual report did not include:
- A roster of the board of directors
- Total income.
- Total program expenses.
- Total expenses for each program in the same categories that appear in the organization’s financial statements.
- Total fund raising expenses.
- Total administrative expenses.
- Total end of year net assets.
Standard 17: Web Site Disclosures - Include on any charity websites that solicit contributions, the same information that is recommended for annual reports, as well as the mailing address of the charity and electronic access to its most recent IRS Form 990.
Evanston Symphony Orchestra Association does not meet this Standard because the organization's website, www.evanstonsymphony.org, does not include all of the recommended information for those charity websites that solicit for donations. Specifically, it does not include:
- Total income.
- Total program expenses.
- Total fund raising expenses.
- Total administrative expenses.
- End of year net assets.
- Electronic access to the organization’s most recent IRS Form 990.