BBB Wise Giving Report for
NTM Info & Research

BBB Wise Giving Report issued October 2010
BBB Wise Giving Report expires October 2012


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: NTM Info & Research
Address: 1550 Madruga Avenue,
Suite 230
  Coral Gables, FL 33146
Phone: 305-667-6461
Web Address: www.NTMinfo.org
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 2003, Florida
Affiliates: None
Stated Purpose: "to save and improve lives by promoting research, education, and early detection, as well as improve treatment programs for people diagnosed with pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease."

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Evaluation Conclusions

              

NTM Info & Research (NTM) does not meet the following 7 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Standard 1: Oversight of Operations and Staff - Organizations shall have a board of directors that provides adequate oversight of the charity's operations and its staff. Indication of adequate oversight includes, but is not limited to, regularly scheduled appraisals of the CEO's performance, evidence of disbursement controls such as board approval of the budget, fund raising practices, establishment of a conflict of interest policy, and establishment of accounting procedures sufficient to safeguard charity finances.

NTM does not meet this Standard because its board of directors does not:

  • Review the performance of the chief executive officer at least once every two years.
  • Have a voting member of the board who is assigned the responsibility of serving as the treasurer. In general, the board’s treasurer helps provide independent oversight of the organization’s finances.

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.

NTM does not meet this Standard because:

  • The board of directors did not meet in the past fiscal year.

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.

NTM 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.

NTM does not meet this Standard because:

  • It has never completed an effectiveness assessment, and does not have one planned for the near future.

Standard 12: Detailed Functional Breakdown of Expenses - Include in the financial statements a breakdown of expenses (e.g., salaries, travel, postage, etc.) that shows what portion of these expenses was allocated to program, fund raising, and administrative activities. If the charity has more than one major program category, the schedule should provide a breakdown for each category.

NTM does not meet this Standard because, in the organization's financial statements, the detailed functional breakdown of expenses:

  • Was not included. A detailed functional breakdown shows expenses by natural classification (e.g., salaries, travel, postage, etc.) and indicates what portion of these expenses was allocated to program, fund raising, and administrative activities).

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.

NTM does not meet this standard because:

  • The organization states it does not have an annual report covering activities conducted in the past year.

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.

NTM does not meet this Standard because the organization's website, www.NTMinfo.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 finances and solicitation materials and is unable to verify the organization's compliance with the following 4 Standards for Charity Accountability: 8, 9, 13, and 15.
NTM Info & Research (NTM) meets the remaining 9 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

              

NTM funds research through its Rapid Information Pilot Studies (RIPS)™ program, and through joint funding programs with the American Lung Association and the American Thoracic Society. NTM hosts patient education meetings across North America and scientific meetings attended by researchers and clinicians. The organization has developed and implemented a Continuing Medical Education (CME) course for physicians explaining how to diagnose and treat NTM lung disease and provides an online physician referral list so that patients can find doctors who know how to treat their NTM lung disease properly. NTM maintains an informational website on NTM lung disease, providing a gateway to support, patient education in five languages, and information regarding NTM data and treatments for medical professionals' use.

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Governance

              

Chief Executive : Samantha Castronovo, Sr. Director of Operations
Compensation*:
$29,950

Chair of the Board: Philip Leitman
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: President, Consulting and Developement Company

Board Size: 12

Paid Staff Size: 2

*2009 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 and Internet appeals.
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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

              

Financial information is not available because the audited financial statements and IRS Form 990 that NTM provided did not contain a functional breakdown of expenses.

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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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