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.
FEC 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.
FEC does not meet this Standard because:
- It did not produce a written report outlining the results of its most recent effectiveness assessment.
Standard 11: Financial Statements - Make available to all, on request, complete annual financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. When total annual gross income exceeds $250,000, these statements should be audited in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. For charities whose annual gross income is less than $250,000, a review by a certified public accountant is sufficient to meet this standard. For charities whose annual gross income is less than $100,000, an internally produced, complete financial statement is sufficient to meet this standard.
FEC does not meet this Standard because:
- The BBB Wise Giving Alliance requested but did not receive a copy of the organization's 2010 audited financial statements.
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.
FEC does not meet this standard because the 2010 annual report did not include:
- A roster of the board of directors
- Total income.
- Total program expenses.
- Total expenses for each program in the same categories that appear in the organization’s financial statements.
- Total fund raising expenses.
- Total administrative expenses.
- Total end of year net assets.
Standard 17: Web Site Disclosures - Include on any charity websites that solicit contributions, the same information that is recommended for annual reports, as well as the mailing address of the charity and electronic access to its most recent IRS Form 990.
FEC does not meet this Standard because the organization's website, http://www.edchoice.org/, does not include all of the recommended information for those charity websites that solicit for donations. Specifically, it does not include:
- Total program expenses.
- Total fund raising expenses.
- Total administrative expenses.
- End of year net assets.
- Electronic access to the organization’s 2010 IRS Form 990.
Standard 18: Privacy for Written Appeals & Internet Privacy - Address privacy concerns of donors by (a) providing in written appeals, at least annually, a means (e.g., such as a check off box) for both new and continuing donors to inform the charity if they do not want their name and address shared outside the organization, (b) providing a clear, prominent and easily accessible privacy policy on any of its websites that tells visitors (i) what information, if any, is being collected about them by the charity and how this information will be used, (ii) how to contact the charity to review personal information collected and request corrections, (iii) how to inform the charity (e.g., a check off box) that the visitor does not wish his/her personal information to be shared outside the organization, and (iv) what security measures the charity has in place to protect personal information.
FEC does not meet this Standard because:
- Although the organization shares personal information about its donors with others, it does not provide a means (such as a check off box) in its direct mail appeals for donors to opt out of having their information shared.