BBB Wise Giving Report for
Southeastern Guide Dogs

BBB Wise Giving Report issued April 2010
BBB Wise Giving Report expires April 2012


This BBB Accredited charity meets all 20 Standards for Charity Accountability. Find out more...


Find out more about this charity:

Back To Top

Charity Contact Information

Name: Southeastern Guide Dogs
Address: 4210 77th Street East
  Palmetto, FL 34221
Phone: 941-729-5665
800-944-3647
Web Address: www.guidedogs.org
Back To Top

BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Formerly known as:NA

Year, State Incorporated: 1983, Florida
Affiliates: None
Stated Purpose: "to create and nurture a partnership between a visually impaired individual and a guide dog, facilitating life's journey with mobility, independence and dignity."

Back To Top

Evaluation Conclusions

              

Southeastern Guide Dogs (SE Guide Dogs) meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.
Back To Top

Programs

              

SE Guide Dogs breeds, raises, and trains guide dogs on its 23-acre campus in Florida and places them with blind and visually impaired individuals who have been accepted into one of its programs. Individuals in the Paws for Independence and Paws for Patriots programs receive guide dogs and learn to use them for increased mobility, independence and opportunities for safe travel. 26-day residential programs are designed to increase future educational, professional and social opportunities for the blind and visually impaired. The charity reports that it creates approximately 70 guide dog teams each year (pairing a blind or visually impaired individual with a guide dog) and provides lifetime support and additional training to 800 active guide dog teams. The services SE Guide Dogs provides are at no cost to program participants or their families. The majority of people served have limited income.

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009, SE Guide Dogs's program expenses were:

  
Program Services 3,504,885
Total Program Expenses: $3,504,885
Back To Top

Governance

              

Chief Executive : Titus Herman, Chief Executive Officer
Compensation*:
$120,071

Chair of the Board: Suzanne Branch
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: President, LuM Lighting Design Consulting

Co-Chair of the Board : Tim Griffy

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Partner, Ernst and Young

Board Size: 14

Paid Staff Size: 67

*July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
Back To Top

Fund Raising

              

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, special events, print advertisements, television, grant proposals, Internet appeals, planned giving, cause-related marketing, membership appeals, and gift shop sales.
Fund raising costs were 5% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $7,058,322, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)
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 SE Guide Dogs's audited financial statements - consolidated with SE Guide Dogs Endowment Trust for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009.

Source of Funds  
Bequests 4,396,978
Individuals 947,702
Foundations 640,295
Interest Income 314,467
Contributed services 289,500
Special events (net) 243,773
Lions clubs 198,650
Service clubs 114,492
Corporate Donations 101,537
CFC Project 79,155
Other 25,462
Merchandise Sales 20,778
Gain on Disposal of Asset 500
Change in value of split interest on agreements -78,883
Unrealized loss on investments -483,260
Realized loss on investments -1,244,395
Total Income $5,566,751


chart



Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 83%  Fund Raising: 8%  Administrative: 9% 

Total income   $5,566,751
  Program expenses $3,504,885
  Fund raising expenses 343,706
  Administrative expenses 360,879
 
Total expenses   $4,209,470
Income in Excess of Expenses   1,357,281
Beginning net assets   15,052,043
Other Changes in Net Assets 1,357,281
Ending net assets   16,409,324
Total liabilities   374,796
Total assets   $16,784,120

Note: In the above financial information, "other change in net assets" represents transfers

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