Better Business Bureau

Charity Contact Information BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments Programs

Tax Status Governance Fund Raising Financial

Name:	Multiple Sclerosis Association of America
Address:	706 Haddonfield Road
	Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
Phone:	856-488-4500 800-532-7667
Web Address:	www.msassociation.org

Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

MSAA has several programs for people with multiple sclerosis, their families, and care partners. The organization has a toll-free helpline for information, referral, and counseling. The organization reports that the helpline supported 11,294 calls last year. MSAA also produced educational periodicals, books and pamphlets which assisted 65,000 people in the MS community, along with 21 online videos with 19,944 views and 4,214 hours of viewing time. MSAA reports that it also distributed free equipment, which served 2,984 clients and offered a life coaching which served 113 clients with 432 hours of coaching. The charity funded or subsidized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that aided in the diagnosis and tracking of MS for 764 patients through 1,155 tests. MSAA has support groups and patient educational programs throughout the United States, and held 99 events with more than 4,000 people in attendance, as well as 25 training programs for healthcare professionals, with over 1,000 in attendance. MSAA has built and maintains five housing complexes for disabled residents. Some ($2,325,642 or 24%) of MSAA's program expenses were conducted in conjunction with fund raising appeals.

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2008, MSAA's program expenses were:

Patient services	5,711,440
Public education	2,415,473
Housing	1,753,793
Total Program Expenses:	$9,880,706

Chief Executive : Douglas G. Franklin, President and Chief Executive Officer

Compensation*:

$234,024

Chair of the Board: Eric Simons
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Business executive

Board Size: 12

Paid Staff Size: 44

*July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2008 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, telemarketing, special events, grant proposals, Internet appeals, door to door appeals, planned giving, cause-related marketing, and membership appeals.

Fund raising costs were 20% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $12,554,888, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)

MSAA incurred joint costs of $4,608,705 for informational materials and activities that included fund raising materials. Of those costs $2,325,642 was allocated to program expenses, $2,062,530 was allocated to fund raising expenses, and $220,533 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 MSAA's audited financial statements (consolidated with affiliates) for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2008.

Source of Funds
Contributions	8,399,821
Grants and bequests	2,295,326
Rental income	1,751,395
Donated materials, services, and equipment	1,582,273
Miscellaneous income	176,894
Special events	100,574
Investment income	73,339
Total Income	$14,379,622

Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 71%  Fund Raising: 18%  Administrative: 11%

Total income				$14,379,622
	Program expenses			$9,880,706
	Fund raising expenses			2,565,609
	Administrative expenses			1,575,001
Total expenses				$14,021,316
Income in Excess of Expenses				358,306
Beginning net assets				10,548,513
Ending net assets				10,906,819
Total liabilities				3,943,545
Total assets				$14,850,364

Note 1: For the year ended, June 30, 2008, MSAA reported in-kind revenues in the amount of $1,582,273 which includes public service announcements ($1,190,171), donated adapted van ($29,500), and donated wheelchairs, ($6,895).