Better Business Bureau Report for
Bethel's Heavenly Hands

Better Business Bureau Report issued February 2012
Better Business Bureau Report expires February 2013


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...


Find out more about this charity:

Back To Top

Charity Contact Information

Name: Bethel's Heavenly Hands
Address: 12525 Fondren Road, Suite N
  Houston, TX 77035
Phone: 713-729-6477
Web Address: www.bethelsheavenlyhands.org
Also known as:Bethel's Heavenly Hands Ministry
Heavenly Hands Ministry
Back To Top

Better Business Bureau Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 2003, Texas
Affiliates: None
Stated Purpose: Bethel’s Heavenly Hands, a 501(c)(3), was birthed to assist individuals with the basic needs of life in an effort to create stability for future growth. We provide essential resources to support individuals and families, meeting basic human needs for food, clothing, and shelter assistance. By creating a foundation, we aim to promote economic self-sufficiency, empowerment and overall improvement. We believe that assisting the individual will in turn empower the community.

Back To Top

Evaluation Conclusions

              

Bethel's Heavenly Hands does not meet the following 7 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.

Bethel's Heavenly Hands 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 a voting member of the board who is assigned the responsibility of serving as the treasurer. In general, the board’s treasurer helps provide independent oversight of the organization’s finances.
  • Have a board-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.

Bethel's Heavenly Hands 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 8: Program Service Expense Ratio - Spend at least 65% of its total expenses on program activities.

Bethel's Heavenly Hands does not meet this Standard because:

  • According to the its IRS Form 990 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, the organization spent $217,597 or 45% of its total expenses ($483,243) 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 $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.

Bethel's Heavenly Hands does not meet this Standard because:

  • It states it does not have audited financial statements for the past fiscal year.

Standard 13: Accuracy of Expenses in Financial Statements - Accurately report the charity's expenses, including any joint cost allocations, in its financial statements. For example, audited or unaudited statements which inaccurately claim zero fund raising expenses or otherwise understate the amount a charity spends on fund raising, and/or overstate the amount it spends on programs will not meet this standard.

Bethel's Heavenly Hands does not meet this Standard because its IRS Form 990 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010:

  • Reports the organization had no fund raising expenses.

Standard 14: Budget - Have a board-approved annual budget for its current fiscal year, outlining projected expenses for major program activities, fund raising, and administration.

Bethel's Heavenly Hands does not meet this Standard because, when the organization provided budget information, it indicated that the budget:

  • Did not identify total projected program service expenses.
  • Did not identify total projected fund raising expenses.
  • Did not identify total projected administrative expenses.

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.

Bethel's Heavenly Hands does not meet this Standard because the organization's website, www.bethelsheavenlyhands.org, does not include a link to its most recent IRS Form 990.

In addition, the Houston BBB requested but did not receive complete information on the organization’s effectiveness measures, finances, solicitation materials, annual report, and donor privacy and is unable to verify the organization's compliance with the following 6Standards for Charity Accountability: 7, 9, 12, 15, 16, and 18.
Bethel's Heavenly Hands meets the remaining 7 Standards for Charity Accountability.
Back To Top

Programs

              

FOOD PANTRY (feed 6,000 to 7,000 people per month) Emergency Food Services Six-Month Program CLOTHING CLOSET

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, Bethel's Heavenly Hands's program expenses were:

  
Total: 217,597
Total Program Expenses: $217,597
Back To Top

Governance

              

Chief Executive : Clark Brook, Executive Director
Compensation*:
$

Chair of the Board: Walter August, Jr.
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Senior Pastor - Minister

Board Size: 7

Paid Staff Size: 6

*Compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
Back To Top

Fund Raising

              

Method(s) Used:

telephone, grant proposals, membership
Back To Top

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.
Back To Top

Financial

              

The following information is based on Bethel's Heavenly Hands's IRS Form 990 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010.

Source of Funds  
Membership Dues 484,114
Total Income $484,114


chart



Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 45%    Administrative: 55% 

Total income   $484,114
  Program expenses $217,597
  Fund raising expenses
  Administrative expenses 265,646
 
Total expenses   $483,243
Income in Excess of Expenses   871
Beginning net assets   8,959
Ending net assets   9,830
Total liabilities  
Total assets   $9,830


Back To Top

Complaints

              

The BBB has processed no complaints about this organization in the past 36 months, our standard reporting period.

Back To Top

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.

This report is not to be used for fund raising or promotional purposes.

Send to:



What is an Accredited Charity