BBB Wise Giving Report for
Give Kids The World

BBB Wise Giving Report issued December 2009
BBB Wise Giving Report expires December 2011


This BBB Accredited charity meets all 20 Standards for Charity Accountability and is a Seal Holder. Find out more...


Find out more about this charity:

Back To Top

Charity Contact Information

Name: Give Kids The World
Address: 210 South Bass Road
  Kissimmee, FL 34746
Phone: 407-396-1114
800-995-5437
Web Address: www.gktw.org
Back To Top

BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 1986, Florida
Affiliates: None
Stated Purpose: "to provide children with life-threatening illnesses between the ages of 3 and 18 and their families the cost-free opportunity to visit and experience various Central Florida attractions."

Back To Top

Evaluation Conclusions

               

Give Kids The World (GKTW) meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.
Back To Top

Programs

               

GKTW coordinates wish vacation packages for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families by providing resort accomodations and food service at GKTW Village and arranging the donation of theme park tickets and local transportation from supporting businesses. Wish granting organizations from around the world identify these special families and coordinate transportation to Orlando, FL, while GKTW completes the wish by hosting these families at its resort Village. The resort includes villa accomodations, daily gift giving, a theatre for special events, the Amberville arcade game area, a castle play area, and a gingerbread restaurant for meals. All theme park tickets are donated to GKTW for use by the families.

For the year ended December 31, 2008, GKTW's program expenses were:

  
Program operations 31,972,404
Total Program Expenses: $31,972,404
Back To Top

Governance

               

Chief Executive : Pamela Landwirth, President
Compensation*:
 $200,691

Chair of the Board: Michael J. Short
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: AutoNation, CFO

Board Size: 15

Paid Staff Size: 140

*2008 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
Back To Top

Fund Raising

               

Method(s) Used:

Special events, grant proposals, Internet appeals, direct mail appeals, and cause-related marketing.
Fund raising costs were 5% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $32,374,929, 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 GKTW's audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2008.

Source of Funds  
Contributions 31,906,358
Interest and dividends 1,179,903
Special events (net) 468,571
Other income 65,610
Net realized losses on investment -14,633,907
Total Income $18,986,535


chart



Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 92%  Fund Raising: 5%  Administrative: 3% 

Total income   $18,986,535
  Program expenses $31,972,404
  Fund raising expenses 1,769,317
  Administrative expenses 919,923
 
Total expenses   $34,661,644
Expenses in Excess of Income   (15,675,109)
Beginning net assets   95,016,858
Ending net assets   79,341,749
Total liabilities   928,722
Total assets   $80,270,471

Note: GKTW's 2008 audited financial statements report gifts of in-kind income of $22,853,000. This amount consists of theme park tickets ($18,381,000), fixed assets for capital expansion ($1,369,000), toys and gifts ($1,071,000), other ($939,000), transportation ($350,000), fundraising ($303,000), food and beverage ($300,000), and telecommunications ($140,000).

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