BBB Wise Giving Report for
Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation

BBB Wise Giving Report issued September 2010
BBB Wise Giving Report expires September 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: Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation
Address: 17 Battery Place #210
  New York, NY 10004
Phone: 212-561-4500
Web Address: www.statueofliberty.org, www.ellisisland.org
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 1982, Delaware
Affiliates: None

Stated Purpose: "to restore and preserve the Statue of Liberty National Monument, which includes, in addition to the Statue itself, Ellis Island and the Museum of Immigration; custody and control of records, relics and other things of historic interest related to the Statue of Liberty and the millions of immigrants who entered the United States via Ellis Island; to foster, promote and stimulate public knowledge of and interest in the history of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island."

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Evaluation Conclusions

              

Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation (the Foundation) does not meet the following 3 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.

The Foundation does not meet this Standard because its board of directors does not:

  • 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.

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 Foundation 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.

The Foundation does not meet this Standard because:

  • It has not completed an effectiveness assessment in the past two years.
The Foundation meets the remaining 17 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

              

The Foundation raises funds for and oversees the historic restorations of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, working in cooperation with its public partner, the National Park Service, U. S. Department of the Interior. In December 2008, the Foundation developed a self-guided audio tour program for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island that is available in nine languages. The Foundation is also involved in a restoration and preservation project through which it repairs and rehabilitates exhibits and audio visual media around the museum's exhibits and theaters. Through the Foundation’s newest program, the People of America ® Center which is currently under development, the organization plans to expand the Ellis Island Museum in order to be able to narrate the story of people who arrived in America from its earliest days before the Elis Island era as well as those who came after World War II and right up to the present.

For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010, the Foundation's program expenses were:

  
American Family Immigration History Center 2,131,871
The Peopling of America Center Project 747,033
Restoration and preservaton 702,854
Public awareness and education 517,451
Total Program Expenses: $4,099,209
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Governance

              

Chief Executive : Stephen A. Briganti, CEO and President
Compensation*:
$354,046

Chair of the Board: Paul E. Weaver
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: (Retired) Chairman, Global TICE Practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Board Size: 20

Paid Staff Size: 56

*April 1, 2009 - March 31, 2010 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
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Fund Raising

              

Method(s) Used:

Drect mail, grant proposals, and Internet appeals.
Fund raising costs were 21% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $3,072,515, 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 Foundation's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010.

Source of Funds  
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments 9,675,293
Contributions 2,636,997
American Family Immigration History Center sales, net 819,677
Audio tours 725,799
Interest and dividend income 551,012
Licensing, royalties and ticket sales 435,518
Miscellaneous income (settlement proceeds) 279,681
Total Income $15,123,977


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Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 74%  Fund Raising: 11%  Administrative: 15% 

Total income   $15,123,977
  Program expenses $4,099,209
  Fund raising expenses 632,948
  Administrative expenses 806,521
 
Total expenses   $5,538,678
Income in Excess of Expenses   9,585,299
Beginning net assets   26,351,232
Ending net assets   35,936,531
Total liabilities   1,463,201
Total assets   $37,399,732


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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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