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Tax time is giving time!
You know what I’m talking about — that one day every year when your income tax return slides into your bank account and you feel like a whole new person on the inside. And of course a big way to boost that return are the tax breaks you get when you donate to charities across the city and the country. Because those charities are exempt from paying federal taxes, they’re required to publicly disclose how much money they make each year, and how that money gets spent.
Billy Penn looked through the tax filings of a number of these charities that fall into different categories, whether they’re popular attractions like the Philadelphia Zoo, millennially-targeted groups like Young Involved Philadelphia or foundations run by the city’s professional athletes.
We want you to make informed decisions before you donate. Doug White, a nonprofits expert, author and Columbia professor, said the Better Business Bureau recommends charities should spent at least 65 percent of funds on program expenses and no more than 35 percent on administration and overhead.
But these guidelines have plenty of exceptions, White said, and it’s important to keep in mind that a responsible charity could certainly report spending less than 65 percent on programming during one year, whereas an irresponsible one could still be spending more. That said, these numbers are a good place to start.
“Look at that range,” he said, “but don’t be a slave to it, because other factors can be very overwhemling to support the value of the organization.”
Here’s a look at some of the city’s charities you might be donating to and what their finances looked like in 2013, the last year of publicly reported IRS filings:
The Big Ones
The Philadelphia Museum of Art
Grade: B
Charity Navigator awarded the Philadelphia Museum of Art 87 points out of 100 for an overall grade, and the nonprofit earned an 83 percent for financial — losing some points because primary revenue growth slightly decreased — and a 94 percent for accountability and transparency.
Mission: Collecting, maintaining and displaying works of art in Philadelphia for the public’s viewing.
Number of employees: 809
Number of volunteers: 417
Revenue
Contributions and grants: $62,753,499
Total revenue: $82,664,750
Expenses
Professional fundraising fees: $426,208
Total fundraising expenses: $4,696,619
Salaries and compensation: $26,469,348
Total expenses: $65,424,284
Net Assets: $693,893,903
Three largest program services of the year
The acquisition of more than 100 works of art: $6,397,243
Dancing Around the Bride special exhibition: $2,354,000
Education programs for more than 170,000 attendees: $2,610,034
Total program service expenses: $52,475,403, meaning 80 percent of the charity’s total expenses were program services
Number of employees who received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation: 27
Director and CEO Timothy Rub made $481,682 in base compensation
Total lobbying expenditures: $96,658
The Philadelphia Zoo
Grade: A
Charity Navigator awarded the Zoo a 92 percent overall grade, and the nonprofit earned a 100 percent grade for accountability and transparency.
Mission: By connecting people with wildlife, the Philadelphia Zoo (America’s first zoo), creates joyful discovery and inspires action for animals and habitats.
Number of employees: 483
Number of volunteers: 700
Revenue
Contributions and grants: $29,166,311
Program service revenue: $9,887,931
Total revenue: $82,664,750
Expenses
Total fundraising expenses: $1,157,593
Salaries and compensation: $17,206,978
Total expenses: $40,053,723
Net Assets: $102,680,212
Three largest program services of the year
Exhibits and garden care: $20,195,048
Animal care: $7,096,000
Education and conservation programming: $3,311,000
Total program service expenses: $34,374,048, meaning 85.8 percent of the charity’s total expenses were program services
Number of employees who received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation: 15
President and CEO Vikram Dewan made $304,180 in base compensation
Total lobbying expenditures: $96,955
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Grade: B
CHOP has a high percentage of total expenses going to program services considering it’s a hospital that has to fund high-paid officials and medical professionals. But financial disclosure information isn’t made easily available on the site’s homepage, as is often recommended by industry professionals.
Mission: Provide charitable healthcare services to pediatric patients. (This doesn’t include the CHOP Foundation which raises charitable contributions to support the hospital.)
Number of employees: 12,086
Number of volunteers: 297
Revenue
Contributions and grants: $248,425,951
Program service revenue: $1,419,576,589
Total revenue: $1,740,759,630
Expenses
Grants and similar amounts paid: $66,893,554
Salaries and compensation: $718,166,743
Total expenses: $1,539,671,540
Net Assets: $1,578,244,754
Largest program services of the year
Providing care: $895,538,607
Research and education: $265,557,011
Total program service expenses: $1,161,095,618, meaning 75.4 percent of the charity’s total expenses were program services
Number of employees who received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation: 1,200
CEO and Trustee Steven M. Altschuler made $4.3M in base compensation
Total lobbying expenditures: $1.022 million
Boys and Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Philadelphia
Grade: B
Charity Navigator awarded the organization an overall grade of 84 percent. It lost some points for not providing certain information on its website, and received an 83 percent score for its financials.
Mission: To enable all young people, especially those who need it most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
Number of employees: 285
Number of volunteers: 500
Revenue
Contributions and grants: $3,107,458
Program service revenue: $2,820,489
Total revenue: $6,152,574
Expenses
Total fundraising expenses: $343,358
Salaries and compensation: $5,295,881
Total expenses: $8,672,444
Net Assets: $6,624,445
Largest program services of the year
$7.6 million spent on operating 12 clubs and providing programs in some of the most deprived and dangerous neighborhoods of the city. More than 9,000 children were served over the course of the year.
Total program service expenses: $7.6 million, meaning 88 percent of the charity’s total expenses were program services
Number of employees who received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation: 2
Co-CEOs Lisabeth and Joseph Marziello made 180,000 and 171,846, respectively
The Ones Millennials Are Involved With
Young Involved Philadelphia
Grade: B
Young Involved Philadelphia meets the recommended threshold of spending at least 65 percent of funds on program services.
Mission: Young Involved Philadelphia works to make the city better by engaging and representing young professionals.
Total volunteers: 35
Revenue
Contributions and grants: $45,542
Program service revenue: $22,510
Total revenue: $68,052
Expenses
Total expenses: $45,095
Net assets: $35,994
Largest program services of the year
State of Young Philly: $6,337
Board prep program: $20,045
Summer Jam: $1,342
Total program service expenses: $29,094, meaning 65 percent of the charity’s total expenses were program services
Committee of Seventy
Grade: B
Committee of Seventy uses 80 percent of its funds on program services, but doesn’t have its financial information located on its donation page.
Mission: This watchdog organization works to ensure clean and effective government, fair elections and better informed citizenry in Philadelphia.
Employees: 8
Total volunteers: 250
Revenue
Contributions and grants: $771,457
Total revenue: $771,627
Expenses
Salaries and compensation: $799,332
Fundraising expenses: $112,141
Total expenses: $1,150,745
Net assets: $292,818
Largest program services of the year
Monitoring the local election process: $914,144
Total program service expenses: $914,144, meaning 80 percent of the charity’s total expenses were program services
Number of employees who received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation: 3
Zachary Stalberg, the group’s former President and CEO, made $288,607
City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program
Grade: A
Mural Arts sends nearly 80 percent of its expenses directly to programs and includes financial information on its website in addition to a donor privacy policy.
Mission: Create art with others to transform places, individuals, communities and institutions. Through this work, Mural Arts establishes new standards of excellence in the practice of public and contemporary art.
Employees: 232
Total volunteers: 31
Revenue
Contributions and grants: $3,367,208
Program service revenue: $4,149,285
Total revenue: $7,468,067
Expenses
Salaries and compensation: $2,994,909
Fundraising expenses: $287,516
Total expenses: $7,144,431
Net assets: $5,392,312
Largest program services of the year
Art education: $1,732,146
Community art: $3,322,466
Public Outreach: $547,120
Total program service expenses: $5,601,732, meaning 78.4 percent of the charity’s total expenses were program services
Number of employees who received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation: 1
President and COO Joan Reilly made $112,539
Philadelphia School Partnership
Grade: A
PSP spends more than 90 percent of its expenses on program services and includes a great deal of financial information readily on its website.
Mission: The Philadelphia School Partnership raises philanthropic funds to invest in the startup, expansion and turnaround of public and private schools, and works to create the conditions for great schools to thrive.
Employees: 20
Total volunteers: 16
Revenue
Contributions and grants: $20,526,190
Total revenue: $20,529,026
Expenses
Grants paid out: $10,245,186
Salaries and compensation: $1,416,800
Total fundraising expenses: $405,246
Total expenses: $14,084,856
Net assets: $20,069,261
Largest program services of the year
Great Schools Fund: $10,651,827
Multimedia information resources: $749,771
The Great Schools Compact: $1,480,558
Total program service expenses: $13,122,757, meaning 93 percent of the charity’s total expenses were program services
Number of employees who received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation: 4
Executive Director Mark Gleason made $187,149 in base compensation
The Ones Associated with Sports
The Hamels Foundation
Grade: B
The Hamels Foundation gets an A in terms of how much money it sends directly to program services, but loses points because of a lack of financial disclosure information on its website.
Mission: The Hamels Foundation has a dual purpose to provide support for quality education in the United States and establish a school in Malawi, Africa. Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels is the vice president while his wife serves as president.
Employees: 6
Total volunteers: 11
Revenue
Contributions and grants: $1,534,642
Total revenue: $1,552,052
Expenses
Grants and similar amounts paid: $450,633
Salaries and compensation: $343,105
Total expenses: $1,073,780
Net assets: $796,923
Some of the grants distributed:
$300K to Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance
$17K to John Q. Hammons Foundation
$50K to School district of Philadelphia
$10K to the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children
$8,990 to Central High
Total program service expenses: $1,012,784, meaning 94 percent of the charity’s total expenses were program services
Number of employees who received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation: 1
Director of PA operations Jihyun Kang made $127,500
Phillies Charities
Grade: A
Phillies Charities sends very close to 100 percent of its funds to the organizations its supports — a feat in and of itself.
Mission: To provide grants to recipients selected by the board of directors.
Employees: 0
Total volunteers: 200
Revenue
Contributions and grants: $231,684
Total revenue: $1,048,045
Expenses
Grants and similar amounts paid: $974,274
Total expenses: $991,846
Net assets: $779,188
Largest program services of the year
Made donations and grants to nearly 50 different charitable organizations, including $435,000 to the ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter. Other grants went to organizations like Families Forward Philadelphia, KIPP Philadelphia Charter School, Manna on Main Street and Women Organized Against Rape.
Total program service expenses: $974,274, meaning 98 percent of the charity’s total expenses were program services
The Eagles Charitable Foundation
Grade: B
Charity Navigator awarded the organization an overall score of 84 percent. It lost points for having negative program expenses growth and failing to put certain financial information on its website.
Mission: This organization, also known as the Eagles Youth Partnership, works to improve the lives of children in Philadelphia.
Employees: 8
Total volunteers: 500
Revenue
Contributions and grants: $1,142,974
Total revenue: $1,462,559
Expenses
Grants and similar amounts paid: $174,500
Salaries and other compensation: $416,299
Total expenses: $1,381,968
Net assets: $4,800,166
Largest program services of the year
Eagles Eye Mobile Program: $506,207
Eagles Book Mobile Program: $224,289
Day of Service at a Public School: $136,245
Total program service expenses: $1,115,532, meaning 81 percent of the charity’s total expenses were program services
Number of employees who received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation: 1
Executive Director Sarah Martinez-Helfman made $148,100
Brent Celek’s Take Flight Foundation
Grade: C
The Take Flight Foundation reported sending 45 percent of expenses to program services — lower than the generally accepted 65 percent threshold — and doesn’t include detailed financial disclosure information on its website.
Mission: To provide opportunities, support and resources to children and families in need. Established in 2010, the primary focus of Brent Celek’s Take Flight Foundation is to provide seriously ill and physically challenged children throughout Greater Philadelphia with daily support and life-changing experiences.
Revenue
Contributions and gifts: $36,154
Income from fundraising events: $90,768
Total revenue: $62,787
Expenses
Professional fees and payments to independent contractors: $41,148
Total expenses: $111,255
Net assets: $8,419
Largest program services of the year
Provided more than 200 low-income families with a Thanksgiving meal: $12,745
Maintained Take Flight zones in area hospitals that give children and their families access to computers, playstations and DVDs to pass the time for chronically ill kids
Total program service expenses: $50,187, meaning 45 percent of the charity’s total expenses were program services
