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7
Dec

Executive Compensation at the American Heart Association (2018)

The American Heart Association (AHA) is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) that primarily relies on public and government funds for funding and is therefore required to submit an IRS Form 990 – the tax return that provides details about the organization including how much revenue was raised and spent, the amount the organization has in net fund assets, and the compensation packages of the executives. Read more »

5
Dec

10 Great Holiday Food Gifts for 2019

Holidays are all about enjoying food so there is no better time to give a palate pleaser than now.  Not everyone is a foodie but nearly everyone appreciates wholesome, delicious food like pure maple syrup, colossal roasted cashews, creamy, rich peanut butter cups or almond cups, award winning crispy potato chips made with extra virgin olive oil, dark chocolate mint meltaways, fresh fruit, and chewy, sweet dates. To wash all that down, consider Fever Tree drinks:  tonic, club soda, or ginger ale. Read more »

3
Dec

How Revenue is Spent at the American Medical Association (AMA)

The American Medical Association (AMA) is a non-profit 501 (c) (6) – a professional association and the largest association of physicians – whose primary purpose is to:

  • publish the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) – a peer reviewed medical journal that includes original research, reviews, and editorials of medicine;
  • maintain a code of medical ethics,
  • create and maintain physician data which is sometimes referred to as master files; and
  • update and maintain medical classification codes (referred to as CPT codes) used by the government, medical practices, hospitals, and insurance companies in return for royalty fees.

Although the AMA is a professional association, membership dues are surprisingly not a large source of revenue for the organization. There are about 1 million physicians in the US, but only about 215,000 belong to the AMA. Members pay about $400 annually although medical students and residents do not pay the annual fee. As such, dues account for a very small portion (about 12%) of the revenue stream for the AMA. Read more »

1
Dec

Executive Compensation at the American Medical Association (AMA)

The American Medical Association (AMA) is a non-profit 501 (c) (6) – a professional association and the largest association of physicians – whose mission is to “promote the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health.” They do this by publishing JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) – a peer reviewed medical journal that publishes original research, reviews, and editorials of medicine, maintaining a code of medical ethics, collecting and maintaining physician data which is sometimes referred to as master files, and maintaining medical codes (referred to as CPT codes) used by the government, medical practices, hospitals, and insurance companies in return for royalty fees. Read more »

29
Nov

Executive Compensation at Big Brothers Big Sisters (2018)

Big Brothers Big Sisters is actually the abbreviated name of more than 250 affiliated organizations around the country. At the heart of Big Brothers Big Sisters is the national office which is named Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA). BBBSA not only raises revenue and awards grants to the affiliates but also provides guidance, standards, training, and education to the affiliates. Therefore, the executive compensation at BBBSA is the focus of this post (However, it is important to note that each affiliate is a separate 501 (c) (3) that files a Form 990 with the IRS. Executive compensation within each affiliate is listed on the Form 990 submitted by the affiliate.

BBBSA employed 53 staff (down from 60 the prior year) who were compensated $4.5 million ($200,000 more than the previous year), which equates to an average compensation of $85,000 in 2018 (note:  the year began July 1, 2017 and ended June 30, 2018).  7 employees received more than $100,000 in compensation with the most highly compensated employees listed below: Read more »

27
Nov

Escuminac Organic Canadian Maple Syrup

Pure maple syrup is an addictive indulgence that most people pour over pancakes and waffles but like any whole food, the quality and taste of maple syrup varies greatly. Starting with healthy maple trees and an agreeable climate (night temperatures in the 20’s and sunny days in the 40’s, which is why Canada and the northeast are the primary sources of maple syrup), good harvesting processes, and a commitment to not use additives makes for a good syrup but the single greatest factor affecting the taste of maple syrup is the time in which the maple sap is harvested during the season. Harvest early and the syrup is light golden and mild while a later harvest produces a darker amber and a more refined maple syrup. Read more »

25
Nov

POMONA Organic Pure Beet Juice

Beet juice may boost stamina to help you exercise longer, improve blood flow, and help lower blood pressure some research shows.Why? Beets are rich in natural chemicals called nitrates. Through a chain reaction, your body changes nitrates into nitric oxide, which helps with blood flow and blood pressure. ~WebMD

Beet juice is not on any top ten juice list that I am aware of but that could change as more and more people realize the benefits of beet juice, especially for athletes.  According to Nutrition Facts (www.nutritionfacts.org), consuming beet juice has been shown to improve athletic ability and endurance which is an amazing finding (click here to watch the 2-minute video entitled “Doping With Beet Juice“).  In addition, consider watching a short video entitled “Whole Beets versus Juice for Improving Athletic Performance” and “Oxygenating Blood with Nitrate Rich Vegetables.” Read more »

23
Nov

Where Does $100 to Freedom From Religion Go?

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.                                                                             ~First Amendment

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) whose primary purpose is to promote the constitutional principle of separation of church and state, which makes so much sense because the USA is home to Christians (Protestants and Catholics), Jews, Mormons, Buddhists, Islamics, Hindus, Agnostics, Atheists, and more. And, yet the battle to keep religion and government separate is on-going because some members of the religious right and other religious orders are intent on pushing their beliefs upon others who do not share the same religious beliefs. Read more »

21
Nov

How Membership Dues are Spent at the American Bar Association

The American Bar Association (ABA) is a non-profit 501 (c) (6) whose purpose is to serve the members of the legal profession in a variety of ways including education. Based in Chicago, Illinois, the ABA has more than 400,000 members who pay $75-$450 in dues annually (depending on their years as a lawyer and type of practice which equates to about $67 million annually (in 2018). To put this number in perspective, the ABA reported total revenue of $149 million in 2018, so about 45% of revenue was from dues. The remaining revenue was from meeting fees ($27 million), gains on the sale of assets ($20 million), royalties ($9 million), publication revenue ($8 million), contributions, gifts, and grants ($8 million), accreditation fees ($5 million), and advertising and other program revenue ($5 million). Read more »

19
Nov

Executive Compensation at the American Bar Association

The American Bar Association (ABA) is a Chicago-based non-profit 501 (c) (6) that serves the members of the legal profession. Established in 1878, the ABA has grown to more than 400,000 members, raises about $150 million annually (membership dues, meeting fees, gains on the sale of assets, royalties, publications, accreditation fees, contributions, advertising, etc), and has more than $150 million in net fund assets (which some people refer to as an endowment).

The most recent IRS Form 990 (2017 for the year ending August 31, 2018) reports the organization employed 751 individuals who were compensated nearly $79 million (about 53% of total revenue), which equates to an average compensation of $105,200.  However, only 114 employees received more than $100,000 in compensation which means there were some very highly compensated employees. Specifically, the 16 most highly compensated employees were reported to be: Read more »