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Your BBB is the only third-party provider of information about local charities. For over one-half century, we have provided the premier avenue for charities to demonstrate their transparency to donors. Through our Charity Education Services, we work with charities to incorporate ethics and help them become stronger, so they can continue to do what they do best: help those most in need. Charities provide information to potential donors through our program to help you make wise giving decisions. Helping donors to make wise giving decisions helps us do what we do best: build public trust in charities.

By using our annual publication, the Giving Guide, visiting us online, or giving us a call, you obtain access to comprehensive information on more than 700 local charities (and thousands of charities across the country). Below is a step-by-step tutorial on how to make the most of our resources, so you can be In Touch with charitable giving.

Step 1: Decide which kind (or type) of charity you would like to support.

We provide comprehensive information on 16 categories of charities including animals, arts and culture, children and families, community development, credit counseling, education and literacy, environmental, general, health, law and public interest, religious, seniors, social services, special needs, veterans, and youth. Begin narrowing your search by deciding which type of charity you might like to support. Answers to these questions, or other life experiences, can help you decide:

1. Have I (or a family member or friend) been the recipient of charitable care or services over the past year? If so, from what type of charity did I (we) receive care or services?

2. I am fortunate that I was able to experience _____. What type of charity makes it possible for others in my community to have this experience?

3. Recently, I read a newspaper article about a unique way a charity was solving a problem in our community. What type of charity was putting this solution to work?

4. What is the biggest injustice I see (or have experienced) in my community? What type of charity is tackling this injustice?

Check this out to match your interests with our 16 categories of charities.

Vote! Find out which types of charities make the biggest impact in our community.

Step 2: Use the Giving Guide to find a charity that matches your area of interest.

As you search, you may notice that not all sixteen of our categories are listed under Charity

Listings. A category is only listed if at least one charity in the category provided the information your BBB requested in order to help you make a wise giving decision. Unfortunately, in some of the categories, no charities provided the requested information.

Turn to the page in the Giving Guide that lists the first entry of the category you identified in step one. All the charities in this section of the Giving Guide voluntarily participated in your BBB’s program. Your BBB relied on the information provided by the charities and did not obtain information from publicly available sources. Participation in our program is voluntary, and, in 2008, roughly 35% of charities that received our request for information responded. Entries in the Giving Guide, like the ones you see listed, provide summary information about the charities that voluntarily provided the information we requested.

Read the information provided about each charity in the category you have selected. Here’s how you should read the grid:

Step A: Begin by reading the charity’s Stated Purpose and Notes.

The charity’s Stated Purpose and Notes includes the charity’s mission statement. Begin by reading the charity’s mission statement to learn more about what the charity strives to accomplish in our community. Evaluate whether the charity’s mission is something of interest to you and whether you consider it a priority.

Step B: Assess the charity’s Status.

Participation in your BBB’s Charity Education Services moves a charity through the process of providing the requested information to becoming a BBB Accredited Charity and beyond. Status, therefore, is the last stage completed by the charity before publication of the Giving Guide and can include:

BBB Accredited Charity

BBB Accredited Charities meet all of our 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Did Not Meet Standard(s) X

Based on the materials provided by the charity, the charity did not meet one (or more) Standard(s) for Charity Accountability. The charity’s Giving Guide entry specifies which standard(s were) was not met.

Unable to Verify Standard(s) X

In some instances, a charity may not provide sufficient information for your BBB to make a determination about a specific standard(s). In other instances, the charity may have fully cooperated with your BBB, but the necessary information was simply unavailable or too ambiguous for your BBB to make a final determination.

How a deviation from our Standards for Charity Accountability affects your giving is a critical decision that only you can answer.  Donors should decide for themselves the importance of
any deviation from our standards.  We think you should note that:

· at the time the 2008 Giving Guide was published, there were only 111 local BBB Accredited Charities that had demonstrated the highest commitment to transparency, donor trust, ethics, and accountability in the way the organization governs itself, measures its effectiveness, reports its finances, and conducts its fundraising efforts.

· charities that provided the requested information – but may not meet our standards yet – have taken a key step in earning your trust; with your encouragement and our expert advice, we can help them take the steps necessary to become BBB Accredited Charities.

Before making a final decision, donors are always encouraged to seek additional information from charities.

Step C: Glance at the charity’s financial information.

The Giving Guide contains a very brief snapshot of the charity’s financial position. Donors are encouraged to glance at this information to:

· see how recently your BBB was provided with updated financial information from the charity (Financial Information Obtained From column). Donors are encouraged to seek more up-to-date information from the charity, if desired.

· determine the percentage of total expenses spent on programs (Column A).  BBB Standard for Charity Accountability 8 calls for charities to spend at least 65% of total expenses on programs.

· determine the percentage of related contributions spent on fundraising (Column B).  BBB Standard for Charity Accountability 9 calls for charities to spend no more than 35% of related contributions on fundraising expenses. Related contributions are contributions received as a result of fundraising efforts. This standard is an efficiency standard, which tells donors how many cents it takes for a charity to raise a dollar.

Column A and Column B have two different denominators, and are, therefore, performing two very different calculations. If the percentages in Column A and Column B add up to 100%, it is a coincidence. Donors should not add the percentages together to make an assumption about a charity’s “overhead” costs. Your BBB does not draw such a conclusion, and it has not provided you with sufficient information to make such a conclusion.

Donors are encouraged to use the financial information in the Giving Guide as a quick, on-the-go tool. It is most useful when telemarketers call, and you need to make a quick decision. For other contributions, donors are encouraged to start with the financial information in the Giving Guide, but make sure to check the charity’s complete BBB Wise Giving Report online for comprehensive financial information.

Step 3: Obtain the charity’s BBB Wise Giving Report online.

After reviewing the entries in the category you selected and choosing a few charities you might be interested in supporting, the next step is to access the charity’s comprehensive BBB Wise Giving Report online.

Your search should be limited to reports from your BBB (serving Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeastern Indiana, service area). Your charity, and ones with a similar name, will appear on the list. Click the hyperlink to obtain the BBB Wise Giving Report on the charity you selected.

BBB Wise Giving Reports provide a wealth of information to help you make wise giving decisions.

Step A: Verify you have found the right charity.

The Charity Contact Information section provides the charity’s physical address (in some instances, the mailing address is provided, if there is no physical address). The charity’s phone number, website address, and other names that are frequently used by the charity are also provided in this section.

Many charities have similar names. Make sure you are reading the BBB Wise Giving Report for the charity you wanted. Use the charity’s contact information and “formerly known as” or “also known as” names to verify you have the right charity.

Step B: Use our Evaluation Conclusions.

Much like the Status column in the Giving Guide, the Evaluation Conclusions in BBB Wise Giving Reports can show that a charity is a BBB Accredited Charity, did not meet standard(s) X, and/or is unable to verify standard(s) X. In some instances, the Evaluations Conclusions section will also contain other findings, including:

· Non- Soliciting Charity – These charities, often 501(c)(3) charities that are eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions, are not actively seeking contributions from the public, and therefore, BBB Standards for Charity Accountability do not apply.

· Charities we were unable to locate – Each year, your BBB receives requests for information about charities that have no valid mailing address, email address, or telephone number, and therefore, your BBB is unable to provide additional information about these groups.

· Did Not Disclose Charity – Your BBB requested information from these charities, but they have opted not to participate in our program at this time. (Learn more about charities that have not provided the requested information.)

However, unlike in the Giving Guide, the Evaluation Conclusions section provides detailed information when a charity has not met a standard(s) or provided sufficient information for your BBB to make a determination about another standard(s). The Evaluation Conclusions section provides donors with:

· the text of the Standard for Charity Accountability that has not been met by the charity. (Learn how the Standards for Charity Accountability were developed.)

· a detailed explanation as to why the charity has not met the standard.

· the charity’s response to your BBB ‘s evaluation, if available.

Again, how a deviation from our Standards for Charity Accountability affects your giving is a critical decision that only you can answer. Donors should decide for themselves the importance of any deviation from our standards.

Step C: Take the charity’s program services into consideration.

As you consider what impact our evaluation conclusions will have on your giving decisions, make sure to weigh the value of the charity’s programs. In the Programs section of our BBB Wise Giving Reports, we detail the services the charity provides to the community. When available, your BBB also quantifies the volume (or amount or number) of services provided. The charity may have told us how many clients received service in a particular year, how many students they educated, how many tons of goods were distributed, and more. In light of the financial information that is provided below the summary of programs, consider how efficient the charity is at providing services.

Step D: Learn more about the charity.

The remaining sections of our BBB Wise Giving Reports – Governance, Fundraising, Tax Status, and Financial Information – provide a clearer picture of the charity.

From the Governance section, you can learn more about the Chief Executive, the Chair of the Board, and how large the charity is (in terms of staff and board size). We provide, when available, the Chief Executive’s salary for the past year. Please note that your BBB does not make any recommendations regarding the Chief Executive’s compensation. The information is provided solely to assist you in making your own determinations.

In the Fundraising section, you will find a list of fundraising methods utilized by the charity. If you are approached for a contribution from this charity via a method not listed, make sure to do more research. The charity may be utilizing new methods of fundraising, or someone may be trying to capitalize on their good name. The description of the charity’s efficiency at raising funds that follows relates to BBB Standard for Charity Accountability 9.

Finally, the Financial Information that follows provides a summary of the charity’s most recent financial information. The figures provided are directly from the charity’s audited or reviewed financial statements, IRS Form 990, or internal financial statements – whichever was provided by the charity. The financial information provided will allow you to draw a conclusion about the charity’s financial stability, assess how your contribution will be used, and verify if claims about financial information in fundraising appeals is accurate.

Step 4: Contact the charity for more information.

Once you have settled on a few charities, make sure to contact each of the charities for additional information. The charity itself can – and should be willing to – provide you with any additional information you need to make a giving decision. They can answer any questions you may have about their programs and services, finances, and/or fundraising efforts. They can share more details about their programs and operations, and they may even be willing to set up a tour of their facility or programs. Make sure to contact them for more information.

Step 5: Donate!

Make sure to support local charities. The programs and services they provide are invaluable to our community.

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