BBB Wise Giving Report for
TASER Foundation for Fallen Officers

BBB Wise Giving Report issued July 2010
BBB Wise Giving Report expires July 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: TASER Foundation for Fallen Officers
Address: 17800 North 85th Street
  Scottsdale, AZ 85255
Phone: 480-905-2090
602-326-6176
Web Address: www.TASERFoundation.org
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 2005, Arizona
Affiliates: TASER International
Stated Purpose: "to provide direct financial support to the families of law enforcement officers in the United States and Canada who are killed in the line of duty."

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Evaluation Conclusions

              

TASER Foundation for Fallen Officers (TASER) does not meet the following 5 Standards for Charity Accountability.

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.

TASER does not meet this Standard because:

  • Its effectiveness assessment policy does not specify that this assessment will take place at least once every two years.

Standard 8: Program Service Expense Ratio - Spend at least 65% of its total expenses on program activities.

TASER does not meet this Standard because:

  • According to the its unaudited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009, the organization spent $362,496 or 41% of its total expenses ($881,802) on program service activities.

Standard 9: Fund Raising Expense Ratio - Spending should be no more than 35% of related contributions on fund raising. Related contributions include donations, legacies, and other gifts received as a result of fund raising efforts.

TASER does not meet this Standard because:

  • According to its unaudited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009, the organization's fund raising costs were 41% ($168,308) of related contributions, which totaled $414,155.

Standard 11: Financial Statements - Make available to all, on request, complete annual financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. When total annual gross income exceeds $250,000, these statements should be audited in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. For charities whose annual gross income is less than $250,000, a review by a certified public accountant is sufficient to meet this standard. For charities whose annual gross income is less than $100,000, an internally produced, complete financial statement is sufficient to meet this standard.

TASER does not meet this Standard because:

  • Although the organization's financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009 report total revenue of $769,127, the statements were not audited.

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).

TASER does not meet this Standard because:

  • In the past year, the organization participated in promotions for the sale of consumer goods that indicate the organization will benefit from these purchases, however the promotions did not specify the actual or anticipated amount of the purchase price that will benefit the organization.
TASER Foundation for Fallen Officers (TASER) meets the remaining 15 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

              

The TASER Foundation provides financial aid to the immediate family (spouse, parents and/or dependents) of a law enforcement officer whose life was lost in the line of duty. In order to qualify, the cause of a loss of life must be duty related and have occurred since August 1, 2004.

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009, TASER's program expenses were:

  
Grants 362,496
Total Program Expenses: $362,496
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Governance

              

Chief Executive : Kathy Hanrahan, CEO and President
Compensation*:
None

Chair of the Board: Dr. Robert Sparks
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Retired

Board Size: 9

Paid Staff Size: 0

*July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances. The charity reports that Executive Director Kathy Hanrahan is not compensated.
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Fund Raising

              

Method(s) Used:

Telemarketing, special events, print advertisements, television, radio, Internet appeals, grant proposals, and cause-related marketing.
Fund raising costs were 41% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $414,155, 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 TASER's unaudited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009.

Source of Funds  
Services donated from TASER International 344,197
Donations 235,405
Fund raising 178,750
Investment income (net) 10,775
Total Income $769,127


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Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 41%  Fund Raising: 19%  Administrative: 40% 

Total income   $769,127
  Program expenses $362,496
  Fund raising expenses 168,308
  Administrative expenses 350,998
 
Total expenses   $881,802
Expenses in Excess of Income   (112,675)
Beginning net assets   930,530
Ending net assets   817,855
Total liabilities   4,496
Total assets   $822,351

Note: TASER reports gifts of in-kind income in the amount of $219,347. This amount consists of accounting, legal services, and advertising.

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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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