BBB Wise Giving Report for
Food & Water Watch

BBB Wise Giving Report issued November 2011
BBB Wise Giving Report expires November 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: Food & Water Watch
Address: 1616 P Street NW
Suite 300
  Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-683-2500
Web Address: www.foodandwaterwatch.org
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 2005, District of Columbia
Affiliates: None
Stated Purpose: "to ensure the food, water and fish we consume is safe, accessible and sustainably produced."

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Evaluation Conclusions

              

Food & Water Watch (FWW) does not meet the following 5 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.

FWW 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.

FWW does not meet this Standard because:

  • It has not completed an effectiveness assessment and does not have one planned for the near future.

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.

FWW does not meet this Standard because, when the organization provided budget information, it indicated that the 2011 budget:

  • Did not identify total projected fundraising and administrative expenses.

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.

FWW does not meet this Standard because the organization's website, www.foodandwaterwatch.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 in each of its major program areas.
  • Total fund raising expenses.
  • Total administrative expenses.
  • End of year net assets.
  • Electronic access to the organization’s most recent 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.

FWW does not meet this Standard because the privacy policy on this website, www.foodandwaterwatch.org does not indicate:

  • What security measures are in place to protect personal information that is collected.
  • What information is collected and how it will be used.
In addition, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance requested but did not receive complete information on the organization’s annual report and is unable to verify the organization's compliance with the following Standard for Charity Accountability: 16.
Food & Water Watch (FWW) meets the remaining 14 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

              

FWW works to promote the practices and policies that will result in sustainable and secure food systems that provide healthy food for consumers and an economically viable living for family farmers and rural communities. The organization also advocates for public control of water resources and services, strong conservation measures and tough regulation of toxic emissions. The organization promotes policies that it hopes will result in safe and affordable drinking water, rather than reliance on bottled water. FWW also promotes policies that maintain the environmental quality of the ocean and its resources, while opposing policies and practices that lead to the privatization of ocean resources.

For the year ended December 31, 2010, FWW's program expenses were:

  
Food 3,505,367
Water 2,149,339
Fish 1,348,926
Total Program Expenses: $7,003,632
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Governance

              

Chief Executive : Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director
Compensation*:
$164,686

Chair of the Board: Maude Barlow
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians

Board Size: 8

Paid Staff Size: 62

*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, telemarketing, grant proposals, Internet appeals, and membership appeals.
Fund raising costs were 6% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $9,452,533, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)
FWW incurred joint costs of $396,525 for informational materials and activities that included fund raising materials. Of those costs $161,700 was allocated to program expenses, $142,593 was allocated to administrative expenses and $92,232 was allocated to fundraising expenses.
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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 FWW's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010.

Source of Funds  
Contributions 9,452,533
Other revenue 48,402
Investment income 8,304
Program service revenue 1,500
Total Income $9,510,739


chart



Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 81%  Fund Raising: 6%  Administrative: 13% 

Total income   $9,510,739
  Program expenses $7,003,632
  Fund raising expenses 553,296
  Administrative expenses 1,154,205
 
Total expenses   $8,711,133
Income in Excess of Expenses   799,606
Beginning net assets   2,753,548
Ending net assets   3,553,154
Total liabilities   518,156
Total assets   $4,071,310


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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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