BBB Wise Giving Report for
Farm Sanctuary

BBB Wise Giving Report issued April 2012
BBB Wise Giving Report expires April 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: Farm Sanctuary
Address: 3100 Aikens Road
  Watkins Glen, NY 14891
Phone: 607-583-2225
Web Address: www.farmsanctuary.org
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 1986, Delaware
Affiliates: None
Stated Purpose: "to protect farm animals from cruelty, inspire change in the way society views and treats farm animals, and promote compassionate vegan living.

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Evaluation Conclusions

              

Farm Sanctuary (FS) does not meet the following 4 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.

FS 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.

FS does not meet this Standard because:

  • It has not completed an effectiveness assessment in past two years.

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.

FS does not meet this Standard because:

  • The budget provided did not include a functional breakdown of expenses.

Standard 19: Cause Related Marketing - Clearly disclose how the charity benefits from the sale of products or services (i.e., cause-related marketing) that state or imply that a charity will benefit from a consumer sale or transaction. Such promotions should disclose, at the point of solicitation: (a) the actual or anticipated portion of the purchase price that will benefit the charity (e.g., 5 cents will be contributed to abc charity for every xyz company product sold), (b) the duration of the campaign (e.g., the month of October), (c) any maximum or guaranteed minimum contribution amount (e.g., up to a maximum of $200,000).

FS does not meet this Standard because, in the past year, the organization participated in promotions for the sale of consumer goods or services (checks, affinity card) that indicate that the organization will benefit from these purchases. The promotions state in part, that Farm Sanctuary will receive a royalty for every check written and also “...[bank] will make a donation to Farm Sanctuary each time you use the card...“ The promotions, however, do not specify the actual or anticipated amount of the purchase price that will benefit the organization.

Farm Sanctuary (FS) meets the remaining 16 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

              

FS is a farm animal rescue and protection organization that works to combat the abuses of factory farming and encourages a new awareness and understanding about farm animals. At shelters in New York and California, FS provides rehabilitation and lifelong care for cattle, pigs, chickens, turkeys, goats, sheep, ducks, geese, and other animals. The organization's advocacy work includes investigating and exposing cruelty as well as reaching out to legislators and businesses and working to bring about institutional reforms. Through public education and outreach campaigns, which include media projects, national news features, humane education, volunteer internships, shelter visitor programs and conferences, and other educational/outreach projects, FS seeks to educate the public about farm animal suffering.

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010, FS's program expenses were:

  
Rescue, shelter, and adoption 1,982,177
Education and outreach 1,482,793
Research, investigation and action 578,005
Legislative action 285,550
Total Program Expenses: $4,328,525
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Governance

              

Chief Executive : Allan E. Kornberg, Executive Director
Compensation*:
$126,077

Chair of the Board: Megan Watkins
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Senior Philanthropic Advisor, Bank of America

Board Size: 7

Paid Staff Size: 76

*October 1, 2009 - September 30, 2010 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, telemarketing, special events, grant proposals, Internet appeals, planned giving, and cause-related marketing.
Fund raising costs were 13% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $6,283,964, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)
FS incurred joint costs of $258,166 for informational materials and activities that included fund raising materials. Of those costs $171,679 was allocated to fund raising expenses and $86,487 was allocated to program expenses.
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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 FS's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010.

Source of Funds  
Contributions 5,711,945
Special events and visitor programs 363,330
Grants and contributions 116,348
Net merchandise sales 103,240
Unrealized gain on investments 101,690
Interest and dividends 99,310
Grants 92,341
Other 39,417
Loss on sale of investments -6,388
Total Income $6,621,233


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Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 78%  Fund Raising: 15%  Administrative: 7% 

Total income   $6,621,233
  Program expenses $4,328,525
  Fund raising expenses 831,367
  Administrative expenses 413,325
 
Total expenses   $5,573,217
Income in Excess of Expenses   1,048,016
Beginning net assets   6,393,674
Ending net assets   7,441,690
Total liabilities   329,118
Total assets   $7,770,808


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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.

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

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