BBB Wise Giving Report for
Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization

BBB Wise Giving Report issued February 2011
BBB Wise Giving 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...


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Charity Contact Information

Name: Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization
Address: 135 South LaSalle Street,
Suite 2000
  Chicago, IL 60603
Phone: 312-986-8338
800-221-2141
Web Address: www.y-me.org
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Formerly known as:Breast Cancer Network of Strength

Year, State Incorporated: 1978, Illinois
Affiliates: 5 chapters

Stated Purpose: "to ensure, through information, empowerment and peer support, that no one faces breast cancer alone."

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Evaluation Conclusions

              

Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization (Y-ME) does not meet the following 5 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.

Y-ME does not meet this Standard because its board of directors does not:

  • Ensure that all the organization‘s arrangements with outside fundraising firms are made in writing.

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.

Y-ME does not meet this Standard because:

  • It has not completed an effectiveness assessment in the 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.

Y-ME does not meet this Standard because, when the organization provided budget information, it indicated that the budget:

  • Included total projected program service expenses, however, did not break these expenses down by major program category (i.e. hotline, outreach, awareness, etc.).

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.

Y-ME does not meet this standard because:

  • The organization states it does not have an annual report covering activities conducted in the past year.

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).

Y-ME does not meet this Standard because, in the past year the organization participated in promotions for the sale of consumer goods or services that indicates that the organization will benefit from these purchases. The promotions, however, did not specify:

  • The actual or anticipated amount of the purchase price that will benefit the organization.
Y-ME meets the remaining 15 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

              

Through its affiliates, Y-ME provides services such as support groups, early detection workshops, community education workshops, wigs and prostheses as well as outreach to the medically underserved. The organization operates programs such as YourShoes which is a 24/7 toll-free hotline staffed by trained peer counselors who are breast cancer survivors. Each call is answered by a peer counselor who understands what the caller is going through and is available to help find answers to his or her questions as well as listen to the caller's feelings and fears. These peer counselors are experienced in handling all types of questions related to breast cancer, and can talk with patients and their loved ones about feelings and concerns. The peer counselors also match callers with survivors who have had a similar diagnosis or life experience. Y-ME also reports that its YourShoes 24/7 Breast Cancer Support Center offers interpreters in 150 languages. Through its advocacy program, Y-ME aims to influence legislation and to increase awareness, research and treatment options.

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009, Y-ME's program expenses were:

  
Affiliate services 4,826,983
Hotline 3,117,407
Outreach 2,153,306
Awareness 959,658
Public health education 454,988
Advocacy 287,182
Total Program Expenses: $11,799,524
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Governance

              

Chief Executive : Margaret C. Kirk, Chief Executive Officer
Compensation*:
$287,429

Chair of the Board: Linda House, RN, BSN, MSM
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Executive Director of Cancer Care at St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital

Board Size: 18

Paid Staff Size: 56

*July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009 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, special events, grant proposals, planned giving, Internet appeals, and cause-related marketing.
Fund raising costs were 34% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $11,334,215, 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 Y-ME's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009.

Source of Funds  
Grants and donations 5,882,263
Special fundraisers, net 5,451,952
Miscellaneous revenue 130,376
Interest, dividends and capital gain distributions 111,096
Merchandise sales 50,305
Sales of educational materials 9,706
Realized and unrealized loss on investments -751,373
Total Income $10,884,325


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Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 72%  Fund Raising: 24%  Administrative: 4% 

Total income   $10,884,325
  Program expenses $11,799,524
  Fund raising expenses 3,880,409
  Administrative expenses 569,323
 
Total expenses   $16,249,256
Expenses in Excess of Income   (5,364,931)
Beginning net assets   11,234,550
Ending net assets   5,869,619
Total liabilities   1,805,015
Total assets   $7,674,634

Note: According to Y-ME' audited financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2009, the organization's in-kind donations were in the amount of $466,148 which includes wigs and prostheses ($439,148) and materials for special events ($27,000).

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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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