Answer The Call - New York Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund
Standards Not Met
- 10
Standards Not Met
Standards Legend
- Meets Standards
- Standards Not Met
- Did Not Disclose
- Review In Progress
- Unable to Verify
Standards For Charity Accountability
Governance
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Board Oversight
Oversight of Operations and Staff: Standard 1
Description
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, fundraising practices, establishment of a conflict of interest policy, and establishment of accounting procedures sufficient to safeguard charity finances.The organization meets this standard.
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Board Size
Number of Board Members: Standard 2
Description
Soliciting organizations shall have a board of directors with a minimum of five voting members.The organization meets this standard.
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Board Meetings
Frequency and Attendance of Board Meetings: Standard 3
Description
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.The organization meets this standard.
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Board Compensation
Compensated Board Members: Standard 4
Description
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.The organization meets this standard.
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Conflict of Interest
Conflict of Interest: Standard 5
Description
No transaction(s) in which any board or staff members have material conflicting interests with the charity resulting from any relationship or business affiliation. Factors that will be considered when concluding whether or not a related party transaction constitutes a conflict of interest and if such a conflict is material, include, but are not limited to: any arm's length procedures established by the charity; the size of the transaction relative to like expenses of the charity; whether the interested party participated in the board vote on the transaction; if competitive bids were sought and whether the transaction is one-time, recurring or ongoing.The organization meets this standard.
Measuring Effectiveness
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Effectiveness Policy
Board Policy on Effectiveness: Standard 6
Description
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.The organization meets this standard.
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Effectiveness Report
Board Approval of Written Report on Effectiveness: Standard 7
Description
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.The organization meets this standard.
Finances
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Program Expenses
Program Service Expense Ratio: Standard 8
Description
Spend at least 65% of its total expenses on program activities.The organization meets this standard.
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Fundraising Expenses
Fundraising Expense Ratio: Standard 9
Description
Spending should be no more than 35% of related contributions on fundraising. Related contributions include donations, legacies, and other gifts received as a result of fundraising efforts.The organization meets this standard.
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Accumulating Funds
Ending Net Assets: Standard 10
Description
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.Answer The Call - New York Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund does not meet this standard because: According to the charity's Audited Financial Statements for the year-ended 12/31/2021, its total unrestricted net assets available for use were $60,388,556.00 or 7.84 times its past year's expenses of $7,701,710.00.
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Audit Report
Financial Statements: Standard 11
Description
Make available to all, on request, complete annual financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. When total annual gross income exceeds $1 million, these statements should be audited in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. For charities whose annual gross income is less than $1 million, a review by a certified public accountant is sufficient to meet this standard. For charities whose annual gross income is less than $250,000, an internally produced, complete financial statement is sufficient to meet this standard.The organization meets this standard.
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Detailed Expense Breakdown
Detailed Functional Breakdown of Expenses: Standard 12
Description
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, fundraising, and administrative activities. If the charity has more than one major program category, the schedule should provide a breakdown for each category.The organization meets this standard.
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Accurate Expense Reporting
Accuracy of Expenses in Financial Statements: Standard 13
Description
Accurately report the charity's expenses, including any joint cost allocations, in its financial statements. For example, audited or unaudited statements which inaccurately claim zero fundraising expenses or otherwise understate the amount a charity spends on fundraising, and/or overstate the amount it spends on programs will not meet this standard.The organization meets this standard.
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Budget Plan
Budget: Standard 14
Description
Have a board-approved annual budget for its current fiscal year, outlining projected expenses for major program activities, fundraising, and administration.The organization meets this standard.
Fundraising & Info
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Truthful Materials
Misleading Appeals: Standard 15
Description
Have solicitations and informational materials, distributed by any means, that are accurate, truthful and not misleading, both in whole and in part. Appeals that omit a clear description of program(s) for which contributions are sought will not meet this standard. A charity should also be able to substantiate that the timing and nature of its expenditures are in accordance with what is stated, expressed, or implied in the charity's solicitations.The organization meets this standard.
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Annual Report
Annual Report: Standard 16
Description
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, fundraising and administrative categories as in the financial statements, and (iii) ending net assets.The organization meets this standard.
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Website Disclosures
Web Site Disclosures: Standard 17
Description
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.The organization meets this standard.
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Donor Privacy
Privacy for Written Appeals & Internet Privacy: Standard 18
Description
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.The organization meets this standard.
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Cause Marketing Disclosures
Cause Related Marketing: Standard 19
Description
Clearly disclose how the charity benefits from the sale of products or services (i.e., cause-related marketing) that state or imply that a charity will benefit from a consumer sale or transaction. Such promotions should disclose, at the point of solicitation: (a) the actual or anticipated portion of the purchase price that will benefit the charity (e.g., 5 cents will be contributed to abc charity for every xyz company product sold), (b) the duration of the campaign (e.g., the month of October), (c) any maximum or guaranteed minimum contribution amount (e.g., up to a maximum of $200,000).The organization meets this standard.
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Complaints
Complaints: Standard 20
Description
Respond promptly to and act on complaints brought to its attention by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance and/or local Better Business Bureaus about fundraising practices, privacy policy violations and/or other issues.The organization meets this standard.
Conclusion
Answer The Call - New York Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund does not meet the following 1 Standards 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.
Answer The Call - New York Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund does not meet this standard because: According to the charity's Audited Financial Statements for the year-ended 12/31/2021, its total unrestricted net assets available for use were $60,388,556.00 or 7.84 times its past year's expenses of $7,701,710.00.
Answer The Call - New York Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund meets the remaining 19 Standards for Charity Accountability.
Statement by Charity:The N.Y. Police and Fire Widow’s & Children’s Benefit Fund’s goal is to provide annual support to the widows and widowers of NYPD, FDNY, and PAPD heroes killed in the line of duty for the rest of their lives. To enable the organization to achieve this goal of long-term support, it decides to save and invest a portion of its funds for the benefit of the families it serves. These funds are set aside to enable it to provide long-term support to its current families, as well as support to families who may lose a loved one in the line of duty in the future. Answer The Call has its financial information available on its website.
Purpose
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Year, State Incorporated
1986, NY
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Stated Purpose
The mission of the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund is to provide financial assistance and a network of support to the families of New York City Police Officers (NYPD), Firefighters (FDNY), Port Authority Police (PAPD), and EMS Workers (FDNY) who have been killed in the line of duty. Our goal is to raise enough funds to assist these families for the rest of their lives.
Programs
Our organization provides financial assistance, as well as a network of support, to the families of our fallen first responders. Immediately, when there is a line of duty death, we provide the family with $25,000 to help alleviate some of the financial uncertainty that such a tragedy can bring. Then every year for the rest of the widow, widower, or legal domestic partner's life, we provide them with an annual stipend. Currently, the annual stipend is $7,500. If there is no widow, widower, or domestic partner, we will pay the stipend to minor children up until they turn 21 years old. In addition, we host events for our families to provide them with an opportunity to come together to cope and connect. In 2018, these events included our Annual Game & Family Day, Female Empowerment Luncheon, Take Our Kids to Work Day, as well as invitations to attend our Gala and Red & Blue Soiree as our guests.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, Answer The Call - New York Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund program expenses were:
| Program service - benefit payments | $6,202,500 |
| Program Expenses | $6,202,500 |
Governance & Staff
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Board Size
27
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Paid Staff Size
3
Fundraising
Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Invitations to fundraising events, Internet, Planned giving arrangements, Cause-related marketing (affinity credit cards, consumer product sales, etc.), Appeals via Social Media (Facebook, etc.).
% of Related Contributions on Fundraising: 7.34%
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.
Financial
The following information is based on Answer The Call - New York Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund's Audited financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021
| Source of Funds | |
|---|---|
| Realized gain on investments | $9,118,075 |
| Annual fundraising events revenue, net of direct costs of $517,693 | $4,162,332 |
| Interest and dividend income | $1,917,048 |
| Contributions - general | $1,308,788 |
| Contributions - in-kind | $638,247 |
| Unrealized loss on investments | $-4,856,160 |
| Total Income | $12,288,330 |
Breakdown of Expenses
| Total Income | $12,288,330 |
| Total Expenses: | $7,701,710 |
| Program Expenses | $6,202,500 |
| Fundraising Expenses | $401,402 |
| Administrative Expenses | $1,097,808 |
| Other Expenses | $0 |
| Income in Excess of Expenses | $4,586,620 |
| Beginning Net Assets | $57,772,990 |
| Other Changes In Net Assets | $0 |
| Ending Net Assets | $62,359,610 |
| Total Liabilities | $154,792 |
| Total Assets | $62,514,402 |
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