Standard 1: Oversight of Operations and Staff - Organizations shall have a board of directors that provides adequate oversight of the charity's operations and its staff. Indication of adequate oversight includes, but is not limited to, regularly scheduled appraisals of the CEO's performance, evidence of disbursement controls such as board approval of the budget, fund raising practices, establishment of a conflict of interest policy, and establishment of accounting procedures sufficient to safeguard charity finances.
BAA does not meet this Standard because its board of directors does not:
- Review the performance of the chief executive officer at least once every two years.
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.
BAA does not meet this Standard because:
- The board of directors did not hold any face to face meetings of the full governing board in the past year.
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.
BAA does not meet this Standard because:
- the organization has indicated that it does not have financial statements that were reviewed by an independent certified public accountant (CPA). A review is an accounting service providing some assurance to interested parties as to the reliability of financial data without the CPA conducting an examination in accordance with Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS).
Standard 14: Budget - Have a board-approved annual budget for its current fiscal year, outlining projected expenses for major program activities, fund raising, and administration.
BAA does not meet this Standard because, when the organization provided budget information, it indicated that the budget:
- Did not identify total projected fund raising expenses.
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.
BAA does not meet this standard because:
- Although requested, the organization did not provide the Alliance with an annual report covering activities conducted in the past year.
Standard 17: Web Site Disclosures - Include on any charity websites that solicit contributions, the same information that is recommended for annual reports, as well as the mailing address of the charity and electronic access to its most recent IRS Form 990.
BAA does not meet this Standard because the organization's website, www.buglesacrossamerica.org, does not include all of the recommended information for those charity websites that solicit for donations. Specifically, it does not include:
- A roster of the board of directors.
- Total income.
- Total program expenses.
- Total fund raising expenses.
- Total administrative expenses.
- End of year net assets.
- Electronic access to the organization’s most recent IRS Form 990.