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30
Sep

Where Does $100 to 350.org Go?

350.org is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) founded in 2008 by a group of people along with author Bill McKibben, an environmentalist, to work towards ending the use of fossil fuels and build renewable energy.

Most scientists agree that the burning of fossil fuels is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas (followed by the animal agriculture industry) which has led to global warming. Named after the safe concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere – 350 parts per million, 350.org is a grassroots organization that has become more well known as the public has become aware of the effects of climate change.

Based in Washington , DC, 350.org raises about $19 million annually (primarily through contributions), spends about 80% of those funds, and has about $15 million in net fund assets. Because the organization is relatively young, it appears they have been focused on their mission but also building up net fund assets (think endowment). Hence, the reason they have not been spending as much as they raise. Read more »

28
Sep

Executive Compensation at the Nature Conservancy (2018)

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.

The most recent financial information (the 2017 IRS Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2018) reports the organization raised $1.2 billion (an increase of $200 million from the year before) and spent $900 million. The difference between revenue raised and revenue spent was nearly $300 million which along with nearly $100 million in net unrealized gains on investments helped increase net fund assets from $6.2 billion at the beginning of the year to $6.6 billion at the end of the year. Read more »

26
Sep

Executive Compensation at the Anti-Defamation League (2017)

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is a charitable tax-exempt 501 (c) 3 established in 1946 in the District of Columbia to defend “democratic ideals and eliminate anti-Semitism and bigotry in the United States and around the world, while providing knowledgeable leadership on a national level for the American Jewish community.”

Based in New York City, the ADL has staff in 27 offices nationwide.  It is important to point out the ADL really consists of two entities:  the ADL and the Anti-Defamation League Foundation (Foundation) – both of which operate out of the same office in New York City.  The Foundation helps support the mission of the ADL by providing funds and by managing the endowment and assets held by the Foundation. In addition, the organizations share many employees. Read more »

24
Sep

The Best Lemon Squeezer

Squeezing the juice of a lemon (or lime) over a salad or dish is easy if the task is done in the kitchen with a traditional citrus squeezer that holds 1/2 of a lemon or lime. But, what if you’re serving a dish and want to give your family or guests the option to squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice over their food (or tea) without getting the juice all over their hands and/or clothing?  Then, you need to get the Press Art Lemon Squeezer: a handy little gadget made in France of Eastman Triton – a super strong BPA-free material  – that squeezes the juice out of a lemon or lime slice without splashing or making a mess. Read more »

22
Sep

The Essential Round Food Molding Set

Several months ago, I was in a restaurant (Levél Veggie Bistro) by Retiro Park in Madrid when I was blown away by a dish called “Timbal Fresco de Quinoa” which means “Fresh Quinoa Timbale.” This beautiful plate of layered quinoa, sliced avocado, and chopped tomatoes with sprouts and ground black peppercorns on top was served with basil leaves along with a lemon squeezer and olive oil.  I simply sprinkled the fresh lemon juice over the top with a sprinkle of salt and the flavor was magnificent. Read more »

20
Sep

Executive Compensation at Kaiser Health

Kaiser Health is one of many terms (Kaiser, Kaiser Permanente, etc) that refers to one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit health care insurers and providers with more than 12 million members (primarily in California but also in Hawaii, Colorado, Georgia, Oregon, Washington, Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia). With 39 hospitals, more than 700 medical offices, and about 220,000 employees, Kaiser Health is considered one of the leaders in the industry.

Kaiser Health is comprised of the health plan (Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc), the hospitals (Kaiser Foundation Hospitals) and the medical groups (Permanente Medical Groups) although there are numerous non-profits that make up the entire organization. The focus of this post is on the executive compensation reported on the Form 990 of the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. because this organization reports the paid compensation for the key executives including the Chairman and CEO (as opposed to a related organization reporting compensation from a related organization).

The most recent IRS Form 990 available is for 2016.  The 76 employees listed below were compensated approximately $80 million: Read more »

18
Sep

Executive Compensation at Johns Hopkins Health System

The Johns Hopkins Health System Corporation (JHHSC), along with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is collectively referred to as Johns Hopkins Medicine – an integrated healthcare system that includes the medical school, six hospitals, four healthcare and surgery centers, and 39 outpatient healthcare sites. Although Johns Hopkins Medicine has numerous non-profits, the focus of this post is the executive compensation at JHHSC (a non-profit 501 (c) (3)  that serves as a support organization for the healthcare system providing management, centralized purchasing, distribution, legal, claims management and other services to support the medical service providers.

In 2016-2017, JHHSC employed 2,967 individuals who were compensated $179 million, which equates to an average compensation of $60,300.  459 employees received more than $100,000 in compensation with the 43 most highly compensated employees listed below: Read more »

16
Sep

How NRA Membership Dues Are Spent

When most people think of the NRA they think of the National Rifle Association of America and the Second Amendment (“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”) but there are six separate non-profits that comprise the NRA:

  • NRA (National Rifle Association of America):  501 (c)(4)
  • NRA Foundation, Inc.:  501 (c)(3)
  • NRA Freedom Action Foundation:  501 (c)(3)
  • NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund:  501 (c)(3)
  • NRA Special Contribution Fund: 501 (c) (3)
  • NRA Political Victory Fund: PAC Section 527

Read more »

14
Sep

Executive Compensation at the NRA (2017)

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 weekly 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 (primarily males under the age of 60 if you look at the statistics of who is committing these mass shootings), and too many people are dying (about 36,000 a year from guns although admittedly not all from mass shootings). Read more »

12
Sep

Where Does $100 to Paws For Purple Hearts Go?

Paws for Purple Hearts (PPH)  is a non-profit (501) (c) (3) that teaches veterans to train service dogs for their fellow veterans with combat related injuries. So, most donors would expect revenue to be primarily spent on program staff compensation, veterans, and service dogs.  According to the most recent IRS Form 990 (2017) submitted to the IRS, this does not appear to be the case.

PPH raised $5.6 million in 2017 (which is $2 million more than in 2016) most of which came from contributions, gifts and grants.

Expenses totaled $5.3 million and were categorized as follows: Read more »