Better Business Bureau Report for
Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry

Better Business Bureau Report issued January 2012
Better Business Bureau Report expires January 2014


Does not meet one or more standards
This charity does not meet one or more of the 20 standards for Charity Accountability. Find out more...


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Charity Contact Information

Name: Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry
Address: 200 South Fifth Street
P.O. Box 35
  Capron, IL 61012
Phone: 815-569-1571
815-979-5412
Web Address: http://www.bbcfoodpantry.org/
Also known as:Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry/Community Center
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Better Business Bureau Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 2004, Illinois
Affiliates: None
Stated Purpose: Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry's mission is to provide food, non-food products, clothing, and other household products to the needy in Boone County. We desire to be a bridge to help transition those facing hard times until they become self-sufficient. Our goal is to give people hope and to make a difference in their lives.

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Evaluation Conclusions

               

Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry does not meet the following 5 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Standard 1: Oversight of Operations and Staff - Organizations shall have a board of directors that provides adequate oversight of the charity's operations and its staff. Indication of adequate oversight includes, but is not limited to, regularly scheduled appraisals of the CEO's performance, evidence of disbursement controls such as board approval of the budget, fund raising practices, establishment of a conflict of interest policy, and establishment of accounting procedures sufficient to safeguard charity finances.

Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry does not meet this Standard because its board of directors does not:

  • Review the performance of the chief executive officer at least once every two years.
  • Have an approved conflict of interest policy.

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.

Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry 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.

Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry does not meet this Standard because:

  • It has never completed an effectiveness assessment.

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.

Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry does not meet this standard because the most recent annual report did not include:

  • The organization’s mission statement
  • A summary of program service accomplishments.
  • A roster of the board of directors

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.
In addition, the BBB of Chicago & Northern Illinois requested but did not receive complete information on the organization’s solicitation materials and is unable to verify the organization's compliance with the following Standard for Charity Accountability: 15.
Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry meets the remaining 14 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

               

The Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry was established to serve those underprivileged in the Boone County area. We seek to serve all residents who fall below the poverty level income guidelines as established by the Department of Human Services. We are required, as members of the Northern Illinois Food Bank, to act in accordance with any and all applicable USDA guidelines; the income guideline being one of them. Eligible clients can visit the facility once per month. At the time of their visit, they must show proof of residency within Boone County. Not only do we offer our clients food products, but they can also shop in our non-food and clothing areas. In the non-food area, we offer products such as shampoo, diapers, cleaning products, and other daily essentials. Our clients also have access to furniture and appliances. No money ever exchanges hands between clients and the pantry. We offer a job readiness program to assist in making our clients more employable. We have worked hard to develop meaningful partnerships with outside agencies that work with us to provide services such as mental healthcare, nutritional information, and assistance applying for State aide; such as SNAP benefits or LIHEAP. Each week, clients visit the pantry to receive boxes of food. The food that each client receives is valued at $300.00. The client can choose to take pre-packaged boxes of food or they can elect to ‘shop’ for their food. Allowing the clients to shop for their food ensures that there will not be any wasted food due to the clients not liking what is in a pre-packaged box. In addition to receiving food, clients shop in the non-food room to receive toilet paper, diapers, soap, toothpaste, cleaning supplies, and daily essentials. We try to ensure that all of the clients have a fair chance of receiving a variety of products from the non-food room. The clothing room offers a wide variety of clothes for infants through senior citizens. The items in this room are both new and used and clients are allowed to take an unlimited amount of used products. New products are limited to three items to ensure everyone has an opportunity to receive something new.

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010, Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry's program expenses were:

  
Food, Clothing, Sundries and General Public 314,953
Depreciation 14,116
Maintainence 6,257
Interest Expense 6,054
Insurance 5,499
Gas & Maintainence 2,332
Pick up and Pest Control 1,146
Other 898
Total Program Expenses: $351,255
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Governance

               

Chief Executive : Linda Clark, Executive Director
Compensation*:

Chair of the Board: Nathan Noble
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: President of Board of Directors

Board Size: 12

Paid Staff Size: 5

*Compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
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Fund Raising

               

Method(s) Used:

direct mail, telephone, invitations to fund raising events, print advertisements, television, radio, grant proposals, internet
Fund raising costs were 2% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $503,713, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)
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Tax Status

               

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.
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Financial

               

The following information is based on Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010.

Source of Funds  
In-Kind Donations 290,370
Cash 213,343
Total Income $503,713


chart



Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 84%  Fund Raising: 2%  Administrative: 14% 

Total income   $503,713
  Program expenses $351,255
  Fund raising expenses 8,479
  Administrative expenses 57,578
 
Total expenses   $417,312
Income in Excess of Expenses   86,401
Beginning net assets   204,773
Ending net assets   291,174
Total liabilities   176,818
Total assets   $467,992


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An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.

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