BBB Wise Giving Report for
Brittany's Hope 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...


Find out more about this charity:

Back To Top

Charity Contact Information

Name: Brittany's Hope Foundation
Address: 1160 North Market Street
  Elizabethtown, PA 17022
Phone: 717-367-9614
Web Address: www.brittanyshope.org
Back To Top

BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 2000, Pennsylvania
Affiliates: None

Stated Purpose: "to facilitate adoptions of special needs, older and sibling children by providing financial grants to special waiting children; to actively seek out healthy and happy families who can offer love and support to special needs children; to raise public awareness of the need for healthy homes for special needs, older and sibling children and to raise public awareness of the unique joys of parenting a special child."

Back To Top

Evaluation Conclusions

              

Brittany's Hope Foundation (BHF) does not meet the following 6 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.

BHF 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.

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.

BHF does not meet this Standard because:

  • It did not produce a written report outlining the results of its most recent effectiveness assessment.

Standard 12: Detailed Functional Breakdown of Expenses - Include in the financial statements a breakdown of expenses (e.g., salaries, travel, postage, etc.) that shows what portion of these expenses was allocated to program, fund raising, and administrative activities. If the charity has more than one major program category, the schedule should provide a breakdown for each category.

BHF does not meet this Standard because, in the organization's financial statements, the detailed functional breakdown of expenses:

  • Was not included. A detailed functional breakdown shows expenses by natural classification (e.g., salaries, travel, postage, etc.) and indicates what portion of these expenses was allocated to program, fund raising, and administrative activities).

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.

BHF does not meet this Standard because its financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2009:

  • Did not report an administrative expense category.
  • Did not report a program services category.

 

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.

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

  • Did not identify total projected administrative expenses.

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.

BHF does not meet this standard because the most recent annual report did not include:

  • Expenses for each major program.
  • Total administrative expenses.
BHF meets the remaining 14 Standards for Charity Accountability.
Back To Top

Programs

              

BHF provides grants through partnering with affiliate adoption agencies to assist families with the cost of adoption when adopting special needs children from abroad. Its H.O.P.E (Helping Orphans by Providing Education) project provides educational opportunities for special needs children so that they may have a better future. Through its nutrition program, BHF provides food for children in Uganda, Vietnam and Gambia. The organization reports that its crib program has placed 345 safe cribs in orphanages in Haiti, Vietnam, China and Sierra Leone. BHF also sponsors an orphanage in Vietnam which cares for 60 children. According to BHF, it has refurbished the orphanage by providing safe drinking water, sanitary toilet and bathing facilities, and a new kitchen. BHF also reports that it will complete the building of an orphanage in Ethiopia in the fall of 2010.

For the year ended December 31, 2009, BHF's program expenses were:

  
Program services 562,431
Total Program Expenses: $562,431
Back To Top

Governance

              

Chief Executive : Candace L. Abel, Founder and Executive Director
Compensation*:

Chair of the Board: Pamela Grosh
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Program Director for Victim/Witness Services of the Office of the District Attorney in Lancaster, PA

Board Size: 7

Paid Staff Size: 5

*2009 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances. BHF reports that the CEO is not compensated.
Back To Top

Fund Raising

              

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, special events, radio, grant proposals, Internet appeals, and planned giving.
Fund raising costs were 1% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $215,765, 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 BHF's IRS Form 990 for the year ended December 31, 2009.

Source of Funds  
Contributions and grants 215,765
Other revenue 138,992
Investment income 45,608
Total Income $400,365


chart



Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 98%  Fund Raising: Less than 1%  Administrative: 2% 

Total income   $400,365
  Program expenses $562,431
  Fund raising expenses 1,321
  Administrative expenses 13,789
 
Total expenses   $577,541
Expenses in Excess of Income   (177,176)
Beginning net assets   1,941,903
Other Changes in Net Assets (284,916)
Ending net assets   1,479,811
Total liabilities   312,106
Total assets   $1,791,917

Note: In the above financial summary, "other changes in net assets" represents a prior period adjustment to BHF's financial statements.

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