Better Business Bureau Report for
The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Foundation

Better Business Bureau Report issued September 2009
Better Business Bureau Report expires February 2012


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: The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Foundation
Address: 800 Vine Street
  Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: (513) 369-4595
(513) 369-4591
Web Address: www.cincinnatilibrary.org/support/foundation.html
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Better Business Bureau Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 2004, Ohio
Affiliates: Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
Stated Purpose: The Library Foundation is dedicated to ensuring a great library system by raising, managing, and allocating funds to expand and enhance the programs and services of our library.

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Evaluation Conclusions

              

The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Foundation does not meet the following 7 Standards for Charity Accountability.

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.

The charity's board of directors does not have a formal policy that the charity's performance and effectiveness will be assessed at least once every two years.

 

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.

The charity states that it has not completed a performance assessment and does not have one planned to take place in the next two years.

 

Standard 10: Ending Net Assets - Avoid accumulating funds that could be used for current program activities. To meet this standard, the charity's unrestricted net assets available for use should not be more than three times the size of the past year's expenses or three times the size of the current year's budget, whichever is higher.

According to the charity's IRS Form 990 for the year ended June 30, 2009, the charity's total unrestricted net assets were $329,735, or 5.3 times the charity's total expenses of $61,484.

 

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 $250,000, these statements should be audited in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. For charities whose annual gross income is less than $250,000, a review by a certified public accountant is sufficient to meet this standard. For charities whose annual gross income is less than $100,000, an internally produced, complete financial statement is sufficient to meet this standard.

Despite gross revenues of $123,672 for the year ended June 30, 2009, the charity did not obtain a review of its financial statements by an independent certified public accountant (CPA).

 

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.

Despite written requests, your BBB was not provided with the charity's most recent annual report.

 

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.

The charity has a website that requests contributions, but the website does not include financial information for the past fiscal year that includes total income, expenses by program, fundraising, and administrative, and total ending net assets.

 

Standard 18: Privacy for Written Appeals & Internet Privacy - Address privacy concerns of donors by (a) providing in written appeals, at least annually, a means (e.g., such as a check off box) for both new and continuing donors to inform the charity if they do not want their name and address shared outside the organization, (b) providing a clear, prominent and easily accessible privacy policy on any of its websites that tells visitors (i) what information, if any, is being collected about them by the charity and how this information will be used, (ii) how to contact the charity to review personal information collected and request corrections, (iii) how to inform the charity (e.g., a check off box) that the visitor does not wish his/her personal information to be shared outside the organization, and (iv) what security measures the charity has in place to protect personal information.

The charity's website does not provide access to a privacy policy.

 

The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Foundation meets the remaining 13 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

              

The Library Foundation's goal is to raise additional funds to expand and enhance all Library programs, services, and collections. According to the charity, "a strong public library system is the foundation upon which a community can preserve the past, empower lives today, and build for the future."

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009, The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Foundation's program expenses were:

  
Program Services 45,475
Total Program Expenses: $45,475
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Governance

              

Chief Executive : Ms. Missy Deters, Library Foundation Executive Director
Compensation*:

Chair of the Board: Mr. Allen G. Zaring IV
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Zar Fund Group LLC

Board Size: 9

Paid Staff Size: 0

*Compensation information was not provided to BBB.
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Fund Raising

              

Method(s) Used:

direct mail appeals, Internet
Fundraising costs were 2% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $117,868, are donations received as a result of fundraising activities.)
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Tax Status

              

This charity 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 The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Foundation's IRS Form 990 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009.

Source of Funds  
Contributions and Grants 117,868
Investment Income 4,727
Other Revenue 1,077
Total Income $123,672


chart



Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 74%  Fund Raising: 4%  Administrative: 22% 

Total income   $123,672
  Program expenses $45,475
  Fund raising expenses 2,618
  Administrative expenses 13,391
 
Total expenses   $61,484
Income in Excess of Expenses   62,188
Beginning net assets   261,746
Ending net assets   329,735
Total liabilities  
Total assets   $329,735


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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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