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Charity Contact Information BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments Programs

Tax Status Governance Fund Raising Financial

Name:	Starlight Children's Foundation
Address:	5757 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite M100
	Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone:	310-479-1212
Web Address:	www.starlight.org

Starlight Children's Foundation (Starlight) meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Starlight reports that it provides support to 3.6 million children coping with life-threatening illnesses and life-altering injuries, and their parents and siblings in the past year. Starlight offers outpatient, hospital-based and online programs as a means to provide ongoing support. Family activities and outings give families a chance to get away from the hospital to relax and regroup. The events also aim to forge connections between families struggling with similar issues to combat feelings of isolation. In-hospital entertainment technology helps kids fill hours in hospitals or treatment centers, find distraction during long or painful medical procedures and stay connected with the outside world. In-hospital playrooms and kid-friendly treatment rooms are geared toward easing loneliness, fear and boredom that accompany hospital stays. Online communities and websites help ill teens connect with each other and find tips and strategies for coping with their medical conditions. Educational programming delivers online games, webisodes, a comic book and websites to help sick children understand common hospital procedures and manage illnesses and injuries such as cancer, sickle cell, cystic fibrosis, asthma, Crohn’s and colitis, severe burns and kidney disease.

For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009, Starlight's program expenses were:

Great escapes	5,217,529
Other	4,557,760
Hospital happenings	3,629,149
Fun centers	2,829,979
PC pals	797,541
Starbright world	423,134
Starlight sites	420,398
Crohns and colitis	171,808
Get fit, get right	155,913
Asthma	2,362
Total Program Expenses:	$18,205,573

Chief Executive : Paula Van Ness, Chief Executive Officer

Compensation*:

$307,876

Chair of the Board: Ronald Leibow
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Attorney

Board Size: 42

Paid Staff Size: 61

*April 1, 2008 - March 31, 2009 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, special events, print advertisements, television, radio, grant proposals, Internet appeals, planned giving, and cause-related marketing

Fund raising costs were 20% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $18,466,101, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)

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 Starlight's audited financial statements - consolidated for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009.

Source of Funds
Contributions	7,590,461
Donated goods and services	6,700,010
Special events (net)	4,175,630
Miscellaneous	96,145
Assessments and sales to international affiliates	50,750
Investment losses	-222,123
Total Income	$18,390,873

Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 77%  Fund Raising: 16%  Administrative: 7%

Total income				$18,390,873
	Program expenses			$18,205,573
	Fund raising expenses			3,671,763
	Administrative expenses			1,595,914
Total expenses				$23,473,250
Expenses in Excess of Income				(5,082,377)
Beginning net assets				22,315,987
Ending net assets				17,233,610
Total liabilities				3,424,203
Total assets				$20,657,813

Note: Starlight's audited financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2009 report gifts of in-kind income of $7,193,510. This amount consists of toys, videos, airline tickets, hotel accommodations, and theme park admissions ($6,700,010) and Swarovski crystal ornaments ($493,500).