Executive Compensation at Feed the Children

Feed the Children (FTC) is a tax-exempt non-profit 501 (c) (3) based in Oklahoma City, OK.  Established in 1979, FTC is primarily engaged in obtaining and distributing food, medicine, and clothing to those in need through grants, primarily to non-profits in the USA.

FTC is governed by 11 independent voting members (directors) of the governing body (Board of Directors) (although the Form 990 lists 12 directors, 8 (67%) of whom are male and 4 (33%) whom are female.

In 2020, FTC collected $416 million in non-cash contributions and distributed $367 million in non-cash contributions (in the form of grants) while also collecting $48 million in cash contributions and spending $41 million on organization expenses, the largest of which was compensation ($17 million).

250 employees received $17 million in compensation, which equates to an average compensation of $68,000.  The Form 990, Part VII, Section A, Number 2 reports only 6 employees received more than $100,000 in compensation but Schedule J, Part II lists the 11 most highly compensated employees, all of whom received more than $100,000 in compensation (so there appears to be an error on the Form 990, Section A, Number 2):

• $1,870,000:  J C Watts, Jr, Former Director and CEO
• $  376,823:  Travis Arnold, Director, CEO
• $  221,887:  Christy Tharp, CFO
• $  219,126:  Gary Sloan, COO
• $  206,192:  Mike Panas, CIO
• $  190,705:  Bob Thomas, CAO
• $  189,253:  Seintje Veldhuis, Regional Director, Africa
• $  188,889:  Becky Graninger, Chief Development and Marketing Officer
• $  157,221:  Scott Killough, SVP, International Ops
• $  151,747:  David Walters, VP, Development
• $  150,548:  Nancy Rew, VP of Marketing

8 of the 11 (73%) most highly compensated employees are male while 3 of the 11 (27%) are female.

5 independent contractors received more than $100,000 in compensation:

• $463,035:  Crowell and Moring, of Baltimore, MD for international consulting
• $240,939:  Mark Weimer PC, of Oklahoma City, OK for legal services
• $183,100:  Hogan Taylor, of Lowell, AR for audit and tax services
• $162,905:  The Cosby Harrison Co, of Crossville, TN for contract/prof services
• $119,944:  Triple J Consulting, of Reno, OK for contractor consulting

To read the IRS Form 990 (2019 for the year ending June 30, 2020), click here.