BBB Wise Giving Report for
Doctors Without Borders USA

BBB Wise Giving Report issued December 2009
BBB Wise Giving Report expires December 2011


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: Doctors Without Borders USA
Address: 333 Seventh Avenue, 2nd Floor
  New York, NY 10001-5004
Phone: 212-679-6800
888-392-0392
Web Address: www.doctorswithoutborders.org
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 1987, New York
Affiliates: Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, Epicentre
Stated Purpose: "to deliver aid to victims of armed conflict, epidemics, and natural and man-made disasters, and to others who lack health care due to social or geographical isolation."

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Evaluation Conclusions

              

Doctors Without Borders USA (DWB) does not meet the following 2 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Standard 4: Compensated Board Members - Not more than one or 10% (whichever is greater) directly or indirectly compensated person(s) serving as voting member(s) of the board. Compensated members shall not serve as the board's chair or treasurer.

DWB does not meet this Standard because:

  • The chair of the board is directly compensated as a paid staff member.

Standard 19: Cause Related Marketing - Clearly disclose how the charity benefits from the sale of products or services (i.e., cause-related marketing) that state or imply that a charity will benefit from a consumer sale or transaction. Such promotions should disclose, at the point of solicitation: (a) the actual or anticipated portion of the purchase price that will benefit the charity (e.g., 5 cents will be contributed to abc charity for every xyz company product sold), (b) the duration of the campaign (e.g., the month of October), (c) any maximum or guaranteed minimum contribution amount (e.g., up to a maximum of $200,000).

DWB does not meet this Standard because, in the past year the organization participated in a promotion for the sale of consumer goods (music album) that indicates that the organization will benefit from these purchases. The promotion, however, did not specify:

  • The actual or anticipated amount of the purchase price that will benefit the organization.
Doctors Without Borders USA (DWB) meets the remaining 18 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

              

In emergencies and their aftermath, DWB provides basic health care, rehabilitates and runs hospitals and clinics, performs surgery, battles epidemics, carries out vaccination campaigns, provides water, sanitation, and shelter support, runs nutritional programs, and offers mental health care. Through longer-term programs, DWB treats chronic diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, sleeping sickness, and AIDS; assists with the medical and psychological problems of marginalized populations including street children and ethnic minorities; and brings health care to remote, isolated areas where resources and training are limited. DWB’s volunteers protest violations of humanitarian law on behalf of populations who have no voice, and take the concerns of their patients to public forums, such as the United Nations, governments (in both home and project countries), and the media.

For the year ended December 31, 2008, DWB's program expenses were:

  
Emergency and medical programs 133,324,284
Field staff 5,385,829
Communications 3,596,109
Program support and development 3,595,045
Total Program Expenses: $145,901,267
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Governance

              

Chief Executive : Sophie Delaunay, Executive Director
Compensation*:

Chair of the Board: Matthew Spitzer, MD
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Physician

Board Size: 12

Paid Staff Size: 84

*2008 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances. DWB reports that Sophie Delaunay became the Executive Director in January 2009. Former Executive Director Nicolas DeTorrente received compensation in the amount of $149,006 for the period.
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Fund Raising

              

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, telemarketing, special events, print advertisements, grant proposals, Internet appeals, planned giving, cause-related marketing, and membership appeals.
Fund raising costs were 13% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $151,514,937, 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 DWB's audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2008.

Source of Funds  
Contributions and private grants 151,514,937
Seconded field staff grants 5,344,015
Investment income 1,959,763
MSF network grants 1,439,585
Services and materials 797,707
Other revenue 211,986
Unrealized and realized gain (loss) on investments -1,210,922
Total Income $160,057,071


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Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 86%  Fund Raising: 12%  Administrative: 2% 

Total income   $160,057,071
  Program expenses $145,901,267
  Fund raising expenses 19,705,258
  Administrative expenses 3,091,006
 
Total expenses   $168,697,531
Expenses in Excess of Income   (8,640,460)
Beginning net assets   93,177,606
Ending net assets   84,537,146
Total liabilities   6,219,933
Total assets   $90,757,079

Note: DWB's audited financial statements include in-kind donations in the amount of $797,707 for legal services.

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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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