BBB Wise Giving Report for
Focus Project

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: Focus Project
Address: 1742 Connecticut Avenue NW
  Washington, DC 20009
Phone: 202-234-8494
Web Address: www.ombwatch.org
Also known as:OMB Watch
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 1983, District of Columbia
Affiliates: None
Stated Purpose: "to increase government transparency and accountability; to ensure sound, equitable regulatory and budgetary processes and policies; and to protect and promote active citizen participation in our democracy."

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Evaluation Conclusions

               

Focus Project (FP) does not meet the following 4 Standards for Charity Accountability.

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.

FP 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.

FP does not meet this Standard because:

  • The organization’s effectiveness assessment did not take place within the past two years. According to the organization, the last assessment was completed in January of 2008.

Standard 14: Budget - Have a board-approved annual budget for its current fiscal year, outlining projected expenses for major program activities, fund raising, and administration.

FP does not meet this Standard because, when the organization provided budget information, it indicated that the2012 budget:

  • Did not identify total projected program service expenses for each of its major program category.
  • Did not identify total projected fund raising expenses.
  • Did not identify total projected administrative expenses.

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.

FP does not meet this standard because the 2010 annual report did not include:

  • Total income.
  • Total expenses for each program in the same categories that appear in the organization’s financial statements.
  • Total fund raising expenses.
  • Total administrative expenses.
Focus Project (FP) meets the remaining 16 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

               

FP advocates for open, honest, and responsive budget processes delivering adequate levels of revenue to pay for needed programs and services through a fair tax system. FP also promotes longer-range public policy solutions to tax and budget issues as well as striving to protect and improve government-wide information policies and public access to information. The organization works to preserve and enhance the federal capacity to protect the public through sound regulation and ensure the federal regulatory process is open and fair. FP also encourages and strengthens the capacity for advocacy by nonprofit organizations and works to protect the free speech rights of nonprofit organizations.

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010, FP's program expenses were:

  
Access to information 969,823
Nonprofit speech rights 624,103
Federal fiscal policy 307,845
Regulatory policy 229,811
Total Program Expenses: $2,131,582
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Governance

               

Chief Executive : Katherine McFate, President and CEO
Compensation*:

Chair of the Board: Paul Marchand
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Consultant, formerly staff director of The Arc and UCP Disability Policy Collaboration

Board Size: 17

Paid Staff Size: 22

*July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances. Gary D. Bass was the executive director during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010 and received compensation of $128,668. The Alliance does not have salary information for the current chief executive.
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Fund Raising

               

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, grant proposals, and Internet appeals.
Fund raising costs were 13% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $1,560,950, 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 FP's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010.

Source of Funds  
Grants and contributions 1,270,153
Donated services and facilities 290,797
Professional fees 266,701
Reimbursements 90,911
Investment income 64,097
Publications 3,372
Total Income $1,986,031


chart



Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 87%  Fund Raising: 8%  Administrative: 5% 

Total income   $1,986,031
  Program expenses $2,131,582
  Fund raising expenses 199,069
  Administrative expenses 129,049
 
Total expenses   $2,459,700
Expenses in Excess of Income   (473,669)
Beginning net assets   2,480,864
Ending net assets   2,007,195
Total liabilities   91,988
Total assets   $2,099,183

Note: For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010, FP reports in-kind donations in the amount of $290,797 for software and training ($166,650), legal services ($113,063), and conference space ($11,084).

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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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