BBB Wise Giving Report for
United Methodist Committee on Relief

BBB Wise Giving Report issued May 2011
BBB Wise Giving Report expires May 2013


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: United Methodist Committee on Relief
Address: 475 Riverside Drive, Room 1522
  New York, NY 10115
Phone: 212-870-3951
Web Address: www.umcor.org
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 1967, New York
Affiliates: General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church
Stated Purpose: "to alleviate human suffering."

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Evaluation Conclusions

              

United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) does not meet the following 4 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Standard 3: Frequency and Attendance of Board Meetings - An organization shall have a minimum of three evenly spaced meetings per year of the full governing body with a majority in attendance, with face-to-face participation. A conference call of the full board can substitute for one of the three meetings of the governing body. For all meetings, alternative modes of participation are acceptable for those with physical disabilities.

UMCOR does not meet this Standard because:

  • The board of directors held two meetings in the past year.

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.

UMCOR does not meet this Standard because:

  • The board of directors does not have a written policy stating that, at least every two years, an appraisal be done assessing the organization’s performance and effectiveness and determining future actions required to achieve its mission.

Standard 7: Board Approval of Written Report on Effectiveness - Submit to the organization's governing body, for its approval, a written report that outlines the results of the aforementioned performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions.

UMCOR does not meet this Standard because:

  • Although an assessment has been completed, the organization did not produce a written report outlining the results of its most recent effectiveness assessment.

Standard 12: Detailed Functional Breakdown of Expenses - Include in the financial statements a breakdown of expenses (e.g., salaries, travel, postage, etc.) that shows what portion of these expenses was allocated to program, fund raising, and administrative activities. If the charity has more than one major program category, the schedule should provide a breakdown for each category.

UMCOR does not meet this Standard because, in the organization's financial statements, the detailed functional breakdown of expenses:

  • Was not included. A detailed functional breakdown shows expenses by natural classification (e.g., salaries, travel, postage, etc.) and indicates what portion of these expenses was allocated to program, fund raising, and administrative activities).
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) meets the remaining 16 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

              

UMCOR works in more than 80 countries worldwide, including the United States. UMCOR’s international and domestic emergency response programs provide relief and rehabilitation for people in distress situations. Through UMCOR’s Refugee Ministry, a refugee resettlement program in partnership with the Immigration and Refugee Program of Church World Service, United Methodist congregations are enabled to offer hospitality to refugees entering the US. The organization reports that the program has sponsored Haitians, Somalis, Bosnians, Vietnamese, Sudanese, Iraqis, Palestinians, and Burmese refugees. Justice for Our Neighbors ministry in the US provides free, professional legal services to immigrants or asylum seekers from around the world in monthly clinics. UMCOR health programs work with United Methodist hospitals and clinics throughout Africa to reach out to communities to combat major health issues such as malnutrition, maternal and child mortality, HIV/AIDS and malaria with education, medication and preventative measures. UMCOR’s hunger and poverty programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America help increase the livelihoods of small-scale farmers through agricultural training, and microloan support to start their own businesses based activities such as beekeeping or Moringa production.

For the year ended December 31, 2009, UMCOR's program expenses were:

  
Relief projects 26,712,794
Advance special projects 16,784,634
Special ministries 5,670,389
Aregak program 3,840,000
Health programs 3,589,592
Total Program Expenses: $56,597,409
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Governance

              

Chief Executive : Cynthia F. Harvey, Deputy General Secretary
Compensation*:
$

Chair of the Board: Janice Riggie Huie
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: United Methodist Bishop

Board Size: 19

Paid Staff Size: 419

*Compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances. Although salary information is not available for the current chief executive, 2009 compensation for former Deputy General Secretary, Sam Dixon, was $114,000.
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Fund Raising

              

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, print advertisements, grant proposals, Internet appeals, and planned giving.
Fund raising costs were 2% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $42,638,546, 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 UMCOR's audited financial statements - consolidated for the year ended December 31, 2009.

Source of Funds  
Donated commodities 14,335,596
General funds of the United Methodist Church 13,353,766
Grants and contracts 12,613,001
Aregak program income 6,856,188
Net increase in value of investments/perpetual trusts 1,750,732
Gifts and bequests 1,663,403
Interest income 1,249,439
Saeger-Brown income 672,780
United Methodist Women's gift 247,466
Other income 127,443
Total Income $52,869,814


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Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 91%  Fund Raising: 1%  Administrative: 8% 

Total income   $52,869,814
  Program expenses $56,597,409
  Fund raising expenses 842,643
  Administrative expenses 4,865,223
 
Total expenses   $62,305,275
Expenses in Excess of Income   (9,435,461)
Beginning net assets   68,195,711
Ending net assets   58,760,250
Total liabilities   39,734,543
Total assets   $98,494,793

Note: According to audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2009, UMCOR had $14,335,596 in donated pharmaceuticals and food.

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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.

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