Note that most of the points are for absolutely basic stuff like uploading their list of directors. At best they have lazy staff, quite apart from the lousy financial numbers (I did the info uploads for exactly this activity for a charity I worked at a few years ago; it takes a few days of work to pull together, but shows you are serious.)
At first glance, per the “green” marked aspects of the available chart, the Kids Wish Network hits multiple high marks on any number of noted charitable metrics, which “may not” overall carry nearly as much weight as do the “graded” financial metrics, in (apparently) the grand scheme of how Charity Navigator scores a peculiar organization.
In this instance, the score or bottom line is equivalent to an F or fail grade, and is more than “sloppiness” or “laziness” in accounting procedures. Charities in general, that deserve the donors praise and support, score in the high 80% or low 90% (percentile).
Per an available chart found within, and in getting down to brass tacks where it counts, the organization spent 64.1% on Fundraising, 5% on Administrative (admirable) and 30.5% on Program (very inefficient) in FY 2023. This is where people have a beef with the fundraising results and rightfully so.
In one of Wounded Warrior’s early iterations, the staff spent lavishly on first class accommodations, flights and meals, all under the guise of the “fundraising” arm of the budget. Eventually, the less than frugal staff living high off the hog at the expense of the donors, were removed and replaced by dedicated personnel raising the organizations standards to the stellar reputation it has today. <> freepersup <>
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Website Disclosures
Tax Form Posted on Nonprofit’s Website as stated on Form 990 - Missing
0 out of 5 points
For almost all charities, we check the charity’s IRS Form 990 to see if it discloses that the Form 990 is available on the charity’s website. As with the audited financial statement, donors need easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well.
Source: IRS Form 990
Financial Metrics
Liabilities to Assets: Ratio - 15.72%
0 out of 25 points
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent IRS Form 990). This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and/or long-term sustainability.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense: Ratio - 32.43%
0 out of 25 points
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three IRS Forms 990). This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Efficiency: Ratio - $0.61
0 out of 25 points
The amount spent to raise $1 in charitable contributions. To calculate a charity’s fundraising efficiency, we divide its average fundraising expenses by the average total contributions it receives. We calculate the charity’s average expenses and average contributions over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Working Capital: Ratio - 0.28 years
0 out of 25 points
Determines how long a charity could sustain its level of spending using its net available assets, or working capital, as reported on its most recently filed IRS Form 990. Dividing these net available assets in the most recent year by a charity’s average total expenses, yields the working capital ratio. We calculate the charity’s average total expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990