BBB Wise Giving Report for
Children's Literacy Initiative

BBB Wise Giving Report issued January 2010
BBB Wise Giving Report expires December 2011


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: Children's Literacy Initiative
Address: 2314 Market Street, 3rd Floor
  Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 215-561-4676
888-408-3388
Web Address: www.childrensliteracyinitiative.org
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 1988, Pennsylvania
Affiliates: None
Stated Purpose: "to close the gap in literacy achievement between disadvantaged children and their more affluent peers."

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Evaluation Conclusions

               

Children's Literacy Initiative (CLI) does not meet the following Standard for Charity Accountability.

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.

CLI does not meet this Standard because:

  • It has never completed an effectiveness assessment and does not have one planned for the near future.
Children's Literacy Initiative (CLI) meets the remaining 19 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

               

CLI offers professional development for pre-kindergarten through third grade teachers across the country. The organization provides coaching and seminars, lesson plans, a prekindergarten curriculum, and collections of high-quality children’s literature. CLI’s programs seek to promote research-based methods for teaching reading and writing. The organization strives to improve teachers’ content knowledge, instructional practices, and classroom environments.

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009, CLI's program expenses were:

  
Program services 5,781,629
Total Program Expenses: $5,781,629
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Governance

               

Chief Executive : Linda Katz, Executive Director
Compensation*:
 $127,394

Chair of the Board: Claudia Balderston
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: D.M.D.

Board Size: 12

Paid Staff Size: 38

*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, telemarketing, special events, grant proposals, Internet appeals, and planned giving arrangements.
Fund raising costs were 18% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $2,645,437, 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 CLI's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009.

Source of Funds  
School district contracts 3,393,044
Grants and contributions 2,590,232
Individual contributions 55,205
Investment income 37,476
Product sales 4,239
Miscellaneous income 604
Total Income $6,080,800


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Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 86%  Fund Raising: 7%  Administrative: 7% 

Total income   $6,080,800
  Program expenses $5,781,629
  Fund raising expenses 465,162
  Administrative expenses 453,182
 
Total expenses   $6,699,973
Expenses in Excess of Income   (619,173)
Beginning net assets   3,161,323
Ending net assets   2,542,150
Total liabilities   333,479
Total assets   $2,875,629


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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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