BBB Wise Giving Report for
American Society on Aging

BBB Wise Giving Report issued September 2011
BBB Wise Giving Report expires September 2013


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: American Society on Aging
Address: 71 Stevenson Street, Suite 1450
  San Francisco, CA 94105-2938
Phone: 415-974-9600
Web Address: www.asaging.org
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 1974, Arizona
Affiliates: None

Stated Purpose: "to support the commitment and enhance the knowledge and skills of those who seek to improve the quality of life of older adults and their families."

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Evaluation Conclusions

              

American Society on Aging (ASA) does not meet the following 5 Standards for Charity Accountability.

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.

ASA does not meet this Standard because:

  • The board of directors held two meetings of the full board in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010.

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.

ASA 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.

ASA does not meet this Standard because:

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

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.

ASA does not meet this standard because:

  • The organization states it does not have an annual report covering activities conducted in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010.

 

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.

ASA does not meet this Standard because the organization's website, www.asaging.org, does not include all of the recommended information for those charity websites that solicit for donations. Specifically, it does not include:

  • Total income.
  • Total program expenses.
  • Total fund raising expenses.
  • Total administrative expenses.
  • End of year net assets.
  • Electronic access to the organization’s most recent IRS Form 990.
In addition, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance requested but did not receive complete information on the organization’s solicitation materials and is unable to verify the organization's compliance with the following Standard for Charity Accountability: 15.
ASA meets the remaining 14 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

              

ASA works to understand the nature and conditions in which older Americans “live in communities,” and to identify and evaluate resources to enhance the quality of life of older Americans. The organization reports that at its 2009 ASA conference, about 5,000 professionals benefitted from professional development and education opportunities. Through special projects, ASA has been able to bring programming about cognitive fitness for elders from organizations to locations around the country. Furthermore, as part of its programs, ASA also publishes a quarterly journal, “Generations,” with each issue devoted to a single topic.

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010, ASA's program expenses were:

  
Education and training 984,216
Special projects 632,412
Products and publications 284,642
Membership 185,286
Diversity 110,613
Outreach 46,675
Total Program Expenses: $2,243,844
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Governance

              

Chief Executive : Robert G. Stein, President and CEO
Compensation*:
$265,968

Chair of the Board: John Feather, PhD, CAE
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Executive Director and CEO, American Society of Consultant Pharmacists

Board Size: 30

Paid Staff Size: 16

*October 1, 2009 - September 30, 2010 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, grant proposals, Internet appeals, and membership appeals.
Fund raising costs were 4% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $1,375,814, 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 ASA's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010.

Source of Funds  
Meetings 1,290,765
Membership dues 561,896
Contributions 332,025
Foundation grants 250,000
Government grants 231,893
Other income 112,581
Advertising and subscription sales 45,547
Product sales and royalties 9,003
Investment interest/dividend 5,125
Mailing list sales 2,502
Realized loss on investments -4,375
Total Income $2,836,962


chart



Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 72%  Fund Raising: 2%  Administrative: 26% 

Total income   $2,836,962
  Program expenses $2,243,844
  Fund raising expenses 49,478
  Administrative expenses 821,193
 
Total expenses   $3,114,515
Expenses in Excess of Income   (277,553)
Beginning net assets   1,070,624
Ending net assets   793,071
Total liabilities   733,470
Total assets   $1,526,541


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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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