Better Business Bureau Report for
Central Institute for the Deaf

Better Business Bureau Report issued September 2008
Better Business Bureau Report expires September 2010


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: Central Institute for the Deaf
Address: 825 South Taylor Avenue
  St. Louis, MO 63110
Phone: 314-977-0000
Web Address: www.cid.edu
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Better Business Bureau Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 1916, Missouri
Affiliates: None
Stated Purpose: exists to teach children who are deaf or hard of hearing to listen, talk, read and succeed. It partners with families and collaborates with universities, educators and other professionals worldwide to help children communicate to achieve their fullest potential.

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Evaluation Conclusions

               

Central Institute for the Deaf (CID) does not meet the following Standard for Charity Accountability.

Standard 10: Ending Net Assets - Avoid accumulating funds that could be used for current program activities. To meet this standard, the charity's unrestricted net assets available for use should not be more than three times the size of the past year's expenses or three times the size of the current year's budget, whichever is higher.

The organization does not meet this Standard because according to its budget for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2008, the organization's total unrestricted net assets were $21,677,255, or 5 times the charity's total expenses of $4,115,416.  The organization responded to the BBB findings with the following:  “For fiscal year ending August 31, 2007, CID's urestricted net assets include $20,007,535 that has been designated by the Board to be treated as endowment to support operations.  It is important that CID treat these unrestricted net assets as endowment because our annual expenses far exceed annual program revenues and operating contributions.  Annual distributions from the board-designated endowment and the donor-restricted endowment are computed using a spending policy.  Distributions from the combined endowments are required to balance the budget.  If CID's board did not treat the board-designated endowment similarly to the donor-restricted endowment, CID would be unable to generate sufficient earnings over the long-term to balance its budget while still providing high quality educational services to children who are deaf or hard of hearing.“ 

  

 
Central Institute for the Deaf (CID) meets the remaining 19 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

               

Professionals at CID have demonstrated that children who are deaf, regardless of the severity of their hearing loss, can learn to speak, to understand the speech of others and to achieve academically when appropriate instruction is provided. CID believes being able to communicate orally gives children with deafness the greatest potential to attain independence. During the 2007-2008 academic year CID will serve upwards of 165 children. One-third will be alumni, children receiving audiology services through Medicaid, students in our language delay classes and normal hearing peers in the Pre-K program. Two-thirds, nearly 120 children with mild to profound deafness, will be enrolled in school programs. Without using sign language CID will teach these children how to listen, speak, read and write so they can attend their local schools and become fully literate and engaged members of our community.

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2007, CID's program expenses were:

  
Program Services 2,817,172
Total Program Expenses: $2,817,172
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Governance

               

Chief Executive : Robin M Feder, Executive Director
Compensation*:
 $156,526

Chair of the Board: Theodore M Armstrong
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Retired CFO & SVP, Angelica Corporation

Co-Chair of the Board : Robert G. Clark

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: President, Clayco

Co-Chair of the Board : Thomas R. Jayne

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Partner, Thompson Coburn

Board Size: 52

Paid Staff Size: 57

*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, invitations to fund raising events, grant proposals, internet, planned giving arrangements
Fund raising costs were 8% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $3,485,607, 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 CID's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2007.

Source of Funds  
Investment income in excess of amount designated for operations 2,561,118
Bequests 1,780,315
Investment income designated for operations 1,561,415
Contributions 1,234,906
Tuition and Fees 405,799
Special Events 254,565
United Way 215,821
Outpatient services 193,333
Other income 116,785
Publications 107,478
Total Income $8,431,535


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Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 76%  Fund Raising: 7%  Administrative: 16%  Other Expenses: 1%

Total income   $8,431,535
  Program expenses $2,817,172
  Fund raising expenses 276,568
  Administrative expenses 598,348
  Other Expenses 50,000
Total expenses   $3,742,088
Income in Excess of Expenses   4,689,447
Beginning net assets   42,833,481
Ending net assets   47,522,928
Total liabilities   125,357
Total assets   $47,648,285


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