BBB Wise Giving Report for
Bike & Build

BBB Wise Giving Report issued April 2010
BBB Wise Giving Report expires April 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: Bike & Build
Address: 6109 Ridge Avenue, Building #2
  Philadelphia, PA 19128
Phone: 267-331-8488
Web Address: www.bikeandbuild.org
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 2003, New York
Affiliates: None

Stated Purpose: "to benefit affordable housing and to empower young adults for a lifetime of service and civic engagement through service oriented cycling trips."

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Evaluation Conclusions

              

Bike and Build (BB) 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.

BB 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 2: Number of Board Members - Soliciting organizations shall have a board of directors with a minimum of five voting members.

BB does not meet this Standard because:

  • The organization has four voting members of the board.

Standard 3: Frequency and Attendance of Board Meetings - An organization shall have a minimum of three evenly spaced meetings per year of the full governing body with a majority in attendance, with face-to-face participation. A conference call of the full board can substitute for one of the three meetings of the governing body. For all meetings, alternative modes of participation are acceptable for those with physical disabilities.

BB does not meet this Standard because:

  • Although the board of director met 5 times in the last fiscal year, none of these meetings included face-to-face participation..

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.

BB 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.

BB does not meet this Standard because:

  • Although it has produced a written effectiveness assessment report, the report did not include recommendations for future actions. In addition, the written assessment was not submitted to the board of directors for approval.

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.

BB does not meet this standard because:

  • The organization has indicated that it does not have an annual report covering activities conducted in the past year.
BB meets the remaining 14 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

              

BB organizes cross-country bicycle trips which benefit affordable housing groups. Specifically, the organization funds projects planned and executed by young adults. BB reports that since its inception, it has donated $2,305,345; spent more than 63,500 hours building; and engaged more than 1000 young adults in spreading the word about the affordable housing crisis in America.

For the period from January 1, 2008 through October 31, 2008, BB's program expenses were:

  
Cycling trips 906,947
Total Program Expenses: $906,947
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Governance

              

Chief Executive : Rosemary DiRita, Executive Director
Compensation*:
15,216

Chair of the Board: Marc Bush
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Consultant, TechnoServe

Board Size: 4

Paid Staff Size: 36

*January 1, 2008 - October 31, 2008 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
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Fund Raising

              

Method(s) Used:

Special events, Internet appeals, planned giving, and membership appeals.
Fund raising costs were 3% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $1,020,292, 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 BB's audited financial statements for the period from January 1, 2008 through October 31, 2008.

Source of Funds  
Contributions 1,005,692
Membership dues 14,600
Interest 2,622
Other 1,429
Total Income $1,024,343


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Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 88%  Fund Raising: 3%  Administrative: 9% 

Total income   $1,024,343
  Program expenses $906,947
  Fund raising expenses 29,218
  Administrative expenses 93,279
 
Total expenses   $1,029,444
Expenses in Excess of Income   (5,101)
Beginning net assets   232,908
Ending net assets   227,807
Total liabilities   8,714
Total assets   $236,521


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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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