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Where Does $100 to Susan G Komen Go?

When most people think of Susan G Komen and pink ribbons, they think of the organization that works to reduce breast cancer deaths by raising money to fund research and community-based educational, medical, financial, and psychosocial support services for those facing a breast cancer diagnosis.  However, there are actually two Susan G Komen organizations:

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Why The Big Picture Matters

Several years ago I started making donations to sanctuaries specializing in the rescue of animals from slaughter houses and abused “homes.”  The stories were heartbreaking and I knew my dollars were primarily going to the veterinary care of the animals, food, shelter, and the selfless staff devoted to taking care of these animals.

When a cow escapes from a slaughter house in Brooklyn, I cheer for the cow (and curse the people chasing the petrified animal) and often send a donation to the kind person who rescued the terrified animal.  So, before I go further, I want to unequivocally say these charities deserve our support because they spotlight the abuse and horrific way people treat most animals. They make us think twice about our choices.

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Top 10 Executives (MEN) at the NRA Made $10.6 Million

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a non-profit 501 (c) (4) organization that fights tirelessly for our second amendment rights. Whether or not you believe the second amendment refers to “militia” or “the people” has always been controversial but is even more so in the wake of the near daily occurrence of mass shootings in this country. People are speaking out for gun control because quite frankly, there are too many guns and assault weapons in the hands of the wrong people.

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Where does $100 to St. Jude’s Go?

St. Jude’s is one of the most popular non-profit organizations in the country because the charity’s mission appeals to donors:  they treat and help children with cancer and other life threatening illnesses. But, before making donations, donors should understand that St. Jude’s is actually two organizations:

  • St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Inc. (Hospital)
  • ALSAC – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Inc. (ALSAC)
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Who To Trust For Nutrition Advice?

Lifestyle choices are one of three aspects (the others being genetics and the environment) that greatly affect our health. We can’t pick our parents and environmental factors are not wholly within our control but we can focus on lifestyle choices that affect our health so who do we turn to for advice?

Everyone has an opinion about diet and nutrition which makes the amount of information to sift through a monumental and often overwhelming task that typically leads to confusion – which is just what the industries who are threatened by the power of nutrition want.

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Recent Articles

28
May

Executive Compensation at CommonSpirit Health (2020)

Commonspirit Health was created in 2019 when Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) and Dignity Health merged to become the largest tax-exempt, non-profit healthcare system in the United States. With more than 150,000 employees staffing 1,000 care centers and 140 hospitals in 21 states, Commonspirit Health, the healthcare system, is comprised of hundreds of non-profits. This post only addresses the executive compensation at Commonspirit Health (CH), the non-profit, 501 (c) (3) that oversees the entire CH healthcare system. Read more »

26
May

Executive Compensation at the Association of Former Students of Texas A & M (Aggie Network)

The alumni association at Texas A & M is formally known as the Association of Former Students of Texas A & M and informally known as the Aggie Network.  A tax-exempt, non-profit 501 (c), the Aggie Network’s mission is to strengthen the Texas A & M alumni network.

A relatively small non-profit, the Aggie Network raised about $30 million in 2020, most of which came from contributions, gifts, and grants ($22 million).  Expenses were $18 million with the largest expense reported to be compensation.  166 employees received $7 million in compensation which equates to an average of $42,000.  10 employees received more than $100,000 in compensation: Read more »

24
May

How Alumni Dollars are Spent at the Association of Former Students of Texas A & M (Aggie Network)

The alumni association at Texas A & M is formally known as the Association of Former Students of Texas A & M and informally known as the Aggie Network.  A tax-exempt, non-profit 501 (c), the Aggie Network’s mission is to strengthen the Aggie Network.  How do they do this?  The short answer is they raise revenue (about $30 million in 2020) and spend about 40% on programs (i.e. receptions, events, and other activities), 10% on general and administrative expenses and 10% on fundraising while the remaining funds (40%) are allocated to the general fund allowing the organization to accumulate $144 million in net assets. Read more »

22
May

Plant-Based Oatmeal Banana Bread (No Oil)

Everyone makes banana bread (what else would we do with those aging brownish bananas in the fruit basket?) but the typical recipe calls for some combination of white flour, refined sugar, butter (margarine, or oil) and eggs. The challenge is to make a banana bread that is moist and delicious without those ingredients, and it’s not easy.

Eight years ago I posted a recipe for whole grain banana bread made with whole grain flours and maple syrup but it still contained oil (albeit only 3 tablespoons).  So, of course, I kept thinking about how to make a great tasting banana bread without oil.  After many attempts, I came up with a recipe that checked off all the boxes:  the bread rises high but is moist, each slice tastes delicious, and this traditional favorite is actually nutritious.  Plant-Based Oatmeal Banana Bread is slightly sweet and full of banana flavor and scrumptious. Read more »

20
May

Executive Compensation at the National Confectioners Association (2020)

The National Confectioners Association (NCA) is tax-exempt, non-profit trade association (501 (c) 6) that promotes chocolate, candy, gum, and mints along with the companies that make these treats. Based in Washington, DC, the NCA focuses on 7 key areas:

  • Public Policy and Government Affairs
  • Scientific and Regulatory Affairs
  • Industry Affairs and the Sweets & Snacks Expo
  • International Business Development
  • Meetings and Membership
  • Public Affairs and Communications
  • Administration and Finance

Read more »

18
May

Executive Compensation at Texas Christian University

Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private, tax-exempt non-profit research university in Fort Worth, Texas that is affiliated with the Christian Church 9 (Disciples of Christ).  Approximately 11,000 undergraduate and 2,000 graduate students are pursuing 114 undergraduate areas of study and 98 graduate degrees on the 300 acre campus a few miles from downtown Fort Worth.

Tuition, room and board are approximately $73,000 annually for an undergraduate student (with about 80% receiving financial aid). With an acceptance rate of 41% (20,000 applications in 2022 of which 8,000 were accepted, and about 3,000 chose to attend), TCU counts about 53% of its students coming from out of state. Read more »

16
May

Executive Compensation at the University of Texas

The University of Texas at Austin  is also known as “UT Austin” (note:  Austin is the flagship school of the University of Texas System which includes 9 academic universities and 6 health institutions).  With about $52,000 students (41,000 undergraduate and 11,000 graduate), tuition, room and board for in-state students are  approximately $35,000 annually while out-of-state students pay approximately $60,000 for tuition, room and board.

UT Austin is often in the news or on the lists of the top largest university endowments because they have a $32 billion endowment (as of 2020) which is second to Harvard who has $42 billion. It’s a big job to manage a $32 billion endowment and that task falls upon The University of Texas Texas A & M Investment Management Company (UTMCO), a tax-exempt, non-profit 501 (c) 3 that is overseen by 9 independent voting members (directors) of the governing body. This post addresses the executive compensation of those employed at UTMCO. Read more »

14
May

Executive Compensation at the Nature Conservancy (2021)

The Nature Conservancy – a 501 (c) (3) based in Arlington, Virginia – whose mission is “to conserve land and waters on which all life depends” has been around since 1951 and is one of the most popular and wealthy non-profits in the country.

There are 22 voting members (directors) of the governing body, 19 of whom are independent, although the Form 990 lists 23 directors (due to timing differences) – 11 (48%) of whom are male and 12 (52%).of whom are female.

The most recent financial information (the 2020 IRS Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2021) reports the organization raised $1.3 billion (compared to $1.1 billion in 2020, $1 billion in 2019 and $1.2 billion in 2018) and spent $900 million. The difference between revenue raised and revenue spent was almost $400 million which along with nearly $400 million in net unrealized gains on investments and other changes in assets helped increase net fund assets from $7.1 billion at the beginning of the year to $7.8 billion at the end of the year. Read more »

12
May

Where Does $100 to the Nature Conservancy Go (2021)?

The Nature Conservancy raises more than $1 billion a year and has nearly $8 billion in net assets (almost a billion more than the beginning of the year), making the organization one of the most well capitalized non-profits in the country. If you’ve ever wondered how a donation is spent but don’t feel inclined to read the dozens and dozens of pages of the IRS Form 990 (the tax return submitted to the IRS annually), then continue reading. Read more »

10
May

Executive Compensation at No Kid Hungry (2021)

No Kid Hungry (NKH) is actually a national campaign started in 2010 by Share Our Strength (SOS), a tax-exempt, non-profit 501 (c) 3 whose focus is on ending childhood hunger in the United States although they do limited international work.  Based in Washington, DC, SOS does this by raising funds and awarding grants (52% of revenue in 2021, 20% in 2020; 12% in 2019) and advocating for this disadvantaged group.

SOS has 17 voting members (directors) of the governing body, 16 of whom are independent; 9 (53%) of whom are male; 8 (47%) of whom are female.

Key information from the Form 990 (2020 for the year ending June 30, 2021) include: Read more »