Better Business Bureau

Charity Contact Information BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments Programs

Tax Status Governance Fund Raising Financial

Name:	Arbor Day Foundation
Address:	100 Arbor Avenue
	Nebraska City, NE 68410
Phone:	888-448-7337
Web Address:	www.arborday.org

Arbor Day Foundation (ADF) meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

ADF distributes trees to people across the United States through its programs that encourage tree planting by individuals and businesses. ADF distributes informational materials to members about planting and caring for trees and produces public service announcements to heighten public awareness about the need to, and benefits of, planting trees. ADF operates Arbor Day Farm, the 260-acre agricultural estate of Arbor Day founder, J. Sterling Morton, that serves as an educational and conference facility to host meetings of policy makers, foresters, and environmentalists. The estate also holds workshops and courses on topics including community forestry, sustainable development, trees and utilities, youth education and environmental stewardship. ADF also promotes the celebration of Arbor Day in schools and communities throughout the country and produces brochures and informational booklets concerning tree planting. ADF collaborates with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters on the Tree City USA program that provides support, technical assistance, and public attention to cities and towns that effectively manage their trees through planting and maintenance. ADF helps fund the purchase of rain forest land threatened with destruction and supports projects that allow development without threatening rain forests. Some ($2,174,024 or 6%) of ADF's program activities are carried out in conjunction with fund raising appeals.

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

Trees for America	17,228,469
Arbor Day Farm	11,196,864
Arbor Day/youth education	2,862,346
Rain forest rescue	2,667,814
Tree City USA	1,315,625
Conferences	808,364
Conservation trees	439,161
Total Program Expenses:	$36,518,643

Chief Executive : John Rosenow, Chief Executive

Compensation*:

$387,380

Chair of the Board: Dan Patterson
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: President of Transition Capital Partners

Board Size: 11

Paid Staff Size: 325

*July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, telemarketing, print advertisements, television, radio, grant proposals, Internet appeals, planned giving, cause-related marketing, and membership appeals.

Fund raising costs were 14% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $27,249,558, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)

ADF incurred joint costs of $2,889,395 for informational materials and activities that included fund raising materials. Of those costs, $2,174,024 was allocated to program expenses and $715,371 was allocated to fund raising expenses.

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.

The following information is based on ADF's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009.

Source of Funds
Contributions	14,072,113
Membership dues	13,177,445
Arbor Day Farm	7,873,322
Trees for America	4,088,353
Program grant income	1,066,736
Arbor Day coffee	1,051,558
Other income	870,520
Total Income	$42,200,047

Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 88%  Fund Raising: 10%  Administrative: 2%

Total income				$42,200,047
	Program expenses			$36,518,643
	Fund raising expenses			3,947,675
	Administrative expenses			798,100
Total expenses				$41,264,418
Income in Excess of Expenses				935,629
Beginning net assets				23,752,307
Ending net assets				24,687,936
Total liabilities				9,470,848
Total assets				$34,158,784