Better Business Bureau

Charity Contact Information BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments Programs

Tax Status Governance Fund Raising Financial

Name:	American Heart Association
Address:	7272 Greenville Avenue
	Dallas, TX 75231
Phone:	214-373-6300
Web Address:	www.americanheart.org

American Heart Association (AHA) meets the 20Standards for Charity Accountability.

AHA funds research at both the national and regional levels. AHA publishes brochures and other resource materials on subjects like nutrition and the dangers of smoking. Its food certification program also helps consumers in identifying items low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Some ($85,908,502 or 32%) of AHA's public health education efforts are conducted in conjunction with fund raising. AHA funds scientific studies to obtain knowledge in the prevention, detection, and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In addition to publishing five medical journals, AHA holds professional development seminars and meetings to keep physicians, nurses and healthcare professionals versed in the latest ways to prevent or treat problems involving stroke, heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases. AHA also offers training in emergency cardiac care. AHA also monitors and promotes legislation at both the federal and state levels on policy issues to bring down rates for heart disease and stroke.

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2007, AHA's program expenses were:

Public health education	271,530,685
Research	150,665,604
Professional education and training	87,916,834
Community services	43,888,390
Total Program Expenses:	$554,001,513

Chief Executive : Nancy Brown, Executive Director and CEO

Compensation*:

Chair of the Board: David A. Josserand
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Executive Vice President and COO, The Dalton Agency

Board Size: 22

Paid Staff Size: 3393

*Compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances. Prior to the CEO's appoint on January 1, 2009, Mr. Cass Wheeler was the CEO of AHA and was compensated $785,465 for the past year. Included in that amount is a lump sum supplemental retirement makeup payment approved by the board and a lump sum payment for retirement for the AHA retirement restoration plan.

Method(s) Used:

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

Fund raising costs were 15% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $601,923,695, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)

AHA incurred joint costs of $134,379,447 for informational materials and activities that included fund raising materials. Of those costs, $87,454,101 was allocated to program expenses, $41,421,322 was allocated to fund raising expenses, and $5,504,024 was allocated to administrative 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 AHA's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2007.

Source of Funds
Special events	269,390,216
Contributions	159,270,480
Bequests	87,614,967
Contributed services and materials	68,904,143
Sales of educational materials	66,697,435
Realized and unrealized gains on investment transactions, net	52,488,489
Program fees	20,448,094
Interest and dividends, net	18,951,081
Royalty income	15,287,514
Unrealized gains on beneficial interest in perpetual trusts	14,458,607
Federated and nonfederated fundraising organizations	14,042,370
Perpetual trusts revenue	6,680,168
Miscellaneous revenue	2,236,832
Gains on disposal of fixed assets	2,213,284
Membership dues	2,072,301
Other split-interest agreements	877,887
Charitable gifts annuities	593,148
Fees and grants	36,070
Change in value of split-interest agreements	-2,903,473
Total Income	$799,359,613

Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 80%  Fund Raising: 13%  Administrative: 7%

Total income				$799,359,613
	Program expenses			$554,001,513
	Fund raising expenses			88,218,143
	Administrative expenses			49,167,728
Total expenses				$691,387,384
Income in Excess of Expenses				107,972,229
Beginning net assets				711,700,066
Other Changes in Net Assets				(4,691,487)
Ending net assets				814,980,808
Total liabilities				396,943,172
Total assets				$1,211,923,980

Note 1: According to AHA's audited financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2007, the organization received $68,904,143 in in-kind donations including national advertising/PSAs ($62,195,643), research peer review ($4,346,335), licensing fees ($945,000), fees/agency consultation ($533,333), miscellaneous consulting ($460,097), local advertising ($241,747), and donated materials for local programs ($181,988).

Note 2: In the above financial summary, "other changes in net assets" valued at ($4,691,487) represents the effect of adoption of FASB statement No.158.