BBB Wise Giving Report for
Catholic Near East Welfare Association

BBB Wise Giving Report issued February 2011
BBB Wise Giving Report expires February 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: Catholic Near East Welfare Association
Address: 1011 1st Avenue,
  New York, NY 10022
Phone: 212-826-1480
Web Address: www.cnewa.org
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 1942, New York
Affiliates: 9 chapters

Stated Purpose: "to support the pastoral mission and institutions of the Eastern Catholic churches and to provide humanitarian and pastoral assistance to the needy and afflicted as well as to educate people in the West about the history, cultures, peoples and churches of the East."

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Evaluation Conclusions

               

Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) does not meet the following Standard 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.

CNEWA does not meet this Standard because:

  • Only one meeting of the full governing board was held in the past year.
CNEWA meets the remaining 19 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

               

CNEWA prepares priests, religious and lay leaders for their roles of service in the church; the organization provides material assistance to priests to facilitate their ministries. CNEWA builds, equips and maintains churches, rectories, schools, seminaries, convents and pastoral structures. The organization also repairs homes and provides medical care and other emergency relief assistance. Furthermore, CNEWA supports child care institutions and schools and assists needy children living with their families. CNEWA also establishes and maintains educational, medical, charitable and cultural institutions serving children, the handicapped, the sick, the indigent, the homeless and the elderly. The organization restores war damaged village infrastructure, subsidizes micro-credit programs and provides scholarship assistance.

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

  
Humanitarian assistance 9,976,232
Pastoral support 6,720,965
Public awareness 2,046,958
Interfaith communication 609,698
Total Program Expenses: $19,353,853
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Governance

               

Chief Executive : Monsignor Archimandrite Robert L. Stern, P.A., President and Secretary General
Compensation*:
 $41,107

Highest Paid Executive: Michael La Civita, Vice President of Communications
Compensation*: $109,884

Chair of the Board: Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Archbishop of New York

Board Size: 5

Paid Staff Size: 121

*2009 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
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Fund Raising

               

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, telemarketing, special events, print advertisements, television, radio, grant proposals, Internet appeals, planned giving, and membership appeals.
Fund raising costs were 5% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $24,612,040, 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 CNEWA's audited financial statements (consolidated with affiliates) for the year ended December 31, 2009.

Source of Funds  
Contributions 12,973,619
Legacies and bequests 5,875,162
Unrealized gains on investments, net 4,072,009
Grants from funding agencies 3,970,379
Collections 1,438,297
Contributed services 346,340
Contributions in-kind 8,243
Total Income $28,684,049


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Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 92%  Fund Raising: 6%  Administrative: 2% 

Total income   $28,684,049
  Program expenses $19,353,853
  Fund raising expenses 1,322,587
  Administrative expenses 519,272
 
Total expenses   $21,195,712
Income in Excess of Expenses   7,488,337
Beginning net assets   21,774,886
Other Changes in Net Assets (400,680)
Ending net assets   28,862,543
Total liabilities   9,037,909
Total assets   $37,900,452

Note 1: In the above financial summary, "other changes in net assets" represents a change in the value of annuity obligations.

Note 2: According to CNEWA's 2009 audited financial statements (consolidated with affiliates), the organization received $8,243 in in-kind donations which includes books.

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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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