BBB Wise Giving Report for
National Veterans Foundation

BBB Wise Giving Report issued October 2011
BBB Wise Giving Report expires October 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...


Find out more about this charity:

Back To Top

Charity Contact Information

Name: National Veterans Foundation
Address: 9841 Airport Boulevard, Suite 418
  Los Angeles, CA 90045
Phone: 888-777-4443
Web Address: www.nvf.org
Back To Top

BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 1985, California
Affiliates: None
Stated Purpose: "to serve the crisis management, information and referral needs of America's veterans and their families."

Back To Top

Evaluation Conclusions

              

National Veterans Foundation (NVF) does not meet the following 6 Standards for Charity Accountability.

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.

NVF does not meet this Standard because its board of directors does not:

  • Have a voting member of the board who is assigned the responsibility of serving as the treasurer. In general, the board’s treasurer helps provide independent oversight of the organization’s finances.

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.

NVF 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.

NVF does not meet this Standard because:

  • It has never completed an effectiveness assessment, and does not have one planned in the near future.

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.

NVF does not meet this Standard because it indicated that a budget:

  • Was not produced for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012.

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.

NVF does not meet this standard because:

  • The organization states it does not have an annual report covering activities conducted in its 2011 fiscal year.

Standard 18: Privacy for Written Appeals & Internet Privacy - Address privacy concerns of donors by (a) providing in written appeals, at least annually, a means (e.g., such as a check off box) for both new and continuing donors to inform the charity if they do not want their name and address shared outside the organization, (b) providing a clear, prominent and easily accessible privacy policy on any of its websites that tells visitors (i) what information, if any, is being collected about them by the charity and how this information will be used, (ii) how to contact the charity to review personal information collected and request corrections, (iii) how to inform the charity (e.g., a check off box) that the visitor does not wish his/her personal information to be shared outside the organization, and (iv) what security measures the charity has in place to protect personal information.

NVF does not meet this Standard because the privacy policy on this website, www.nvf.org does not indicate:

  • What security measures are in place to protect personal information that is collected.
In addition, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance requested but did not receive complete information on the organization’s governance and oversight and finances and is unable to verify the organization's compliance with the following 4 Standards for Charity Accountability: 3, 8, 9, and 13.
National Veterans Foundation (NVF) meets the remaining 10 Standards for Charity Accountability.
Back To Top

Programs

              

NVF manages and operates a toll-free helpline for veterans and their families, conducts public awareness programs that shed light on the needs of America's veterans and conducts community outreach programs that provide veterans and their families in need with food, clothing, transportation, employment and other essential resources. Most ($6,823,589 or 88%) of NVF's program activities are carried out in conjunction with fund raising appeals.

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010, NVF's program expenses were:

  
Veterans support services 7,753,073
Total Program Expenses: $7,753,073
Back To Top

Governance

              

Chief Executive : Floyd "Shad" Meshad, President/Founder
Compensation*:
$137,231

Chair of the Board: Dave Culmer
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Retired Marine Corps

Board Size: 7

Paid Staff Size: 12

*July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
Back To Top

Fund Raising

              

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, special events, and Internet appeals.
Fund raising costs were 33% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $10,838,688, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)
NVF incurred joint costs of $10,235,333 for informational materials and activities that included fund raising materials. Of those costs, $6,823,589 was allocated to program expenses and $3,411,744 was allocated to fund raising expenses.
Back To Top

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.
Back To Top

Financial

              

The following information is based on NVF's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010.

Source of Funds  
Donations from individuals and organizations 10,838,688
Interest and dividends 98,864
Realized and unrealized investment gains 98,315
Total Income $11,035,867


chart



Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 67%  Fund Raising: 31%  Administrative: 2% 

Total income   $11,035,867
  Program expenses $7,753,073
  Fund raising expenses 3,569,539
  Administrative expenses 176,718
 
Total expenses   $11,499,330
Expenses in Excess of Income   (463,463)
Beginning net assets   4,559,934
Ending net assets   4,096,471
Total liabilities   9,220
Total assets   $4,105,691


Back To Top

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.

Send to:



What is an Accredited Charity