BBB Wise Giving Report for
Samaritan's Purse

BBB Wise Giving Report issued September 2010
BBB Wise Giving Report expires September 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: Samaritan's Purse
Address: P.O. Box 3000
  Boone, NC 28607
Phone: 828-262-1980
Web Address: www.samaritanspurse.org
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 1980, North Carolina
Affiliates: None
Stated Purpose: "to provide spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world with the purpose of sharing God's love through his Son, Jesus Christ."

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Evaluation Conclusions

              

Samaritan's Purse (SP) does not meet the following 3 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.

SP does not meet this Standard because:

  • The paid chief executive officer also serves as the chair of the board of directors.
  • 3 out of 22 (14%) board members are compensated directly.

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.

SP does not meet this Standard because:

  •   The organization's functional breakdown of expenses did not include all of its major program categories.

In response to this finding, the charity stated, in part: ". . . we follow all generally accepted accounting principles in our financial statements."

Standard 16: Annual Report - Have an annual report available to all, on request, that includes: (a) the organization's mission statement, (b) a summary of the past year's program service accomplishments, (c) a roster of the officers and members of the board of directors, (d) financial information that includes (i) total income in the past fiscal year, (ii) expenses in the same program, fund raising and administrative categories as in the financial statements, and (iii) ending net assets.

SP does not meet this standard because the most recent annual report did not include:

  • Total income.
  • Total expenses for each program in the same categories that appear in the organization’s financial statements.
  • Total fund raising expenses.
  • Total administrative expenses.
  • Total end of year net assets.
In addition, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance requested but did not receive complete information on the organization’s governance and oversight, effectiveness measures, finances, solicitation materials, donor privacy, and fundraising disclosures and is unable to verify the organization's compliance with the following 11 Standards for Charity Accountability: 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 18, and 19.
Samaritan's Purse (SP) meets the remaining 6 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

              

SP's emergency relief programs provide assistance to victims of natural disaster, war, disease, and famine. Through livestock and farm projects, vocational training, and school construction and education programs, SP aims to transform families, villages, and neighborhoods. SP provides needy children with food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and education In countries around the world. Some ($28,381,879 or 10%) of SP's program activities are carried out in conjunctionwith fund raising appeals.

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

  
Children's ministry -- Operation Christmas Child 175,813,003
Christian education 24,693,156
Community development ministries 24,096,283
Medical assistance 22,360,243
Emergency relief 14,414,868
Other ministry services 9,521,038
International HIV/AIDS ministry 4,714,971
Children's ministry - other 4,409,561
Related organizations 2,830,360
Miscellaneous projects 1,136,181
Missions, missionary and personnel assistance 412,022
Total Program Expenses: $284,401,686
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Governance

              

Chief Executive : W. Franklin Graham, III, President and CEO
Compensation*:
$534,772

Chair of the Board: W. Franklin Graham, III
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: President and CEO of Samaritan's Purse

Board Size: 22

Paid Staff Size: 1740

*2008 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 and Internet appeals.
SP incurred joint costs of $52,536,953 for informational materials and activities that included fund raising materials. Of those costs $28,381,879 was allocated to program expenses, $17,603,649 was allocated to fund raising expenses, and $6,551,425 was allocated to administrative expenses.
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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 SP's audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2009.

Source of Funds  
Contributed goods and services 167,520,480
Contributions 148,203,455
Investment income 1,955,456
Other income 1,952,267
Change in value of annuities and trusts 947,006
Total Income $320,578,664


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Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 89%  Fund Raising: 6%  Administrative: 5% 

Total income   $320,578,664
  Program expenses $284,401,686
  Fund raising expenses 19,897,670
  Administrative expenses 15,321,270
 
Total expenses   $319,620,626
Income in Excess of Expenses   958,038
Beginning net assets   177,277,534
Ending net assets   178,235,572
Total liabilities   26,172,618
Total assets   $204,408,190


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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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