8882762971

This organization does not have the best track record            Evaluation Conclusions                       

Cancer Fund of America (CFA) does not meet the following 7 Standards for Charity Accountability:     

Standard 8 : Program Service Expense Ratio - Spend at least 65% of its total expenses on program activities.

   * CFA does not meet this Standard because according to the organization's audited, consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2005, the organization spent $7,755,278 or 34% of its total expenses ($22,837,610) on program service activities.


Standard 9 : Fund Raising Expense Ratio - Spend should be no more than 35% of related contributions on fund raising. Related contributions include donations, legacies, and other gifts received as a result of fund raising efforts.

CFA does not meet this Standard because:

   * CFA does not meet this Standard because according to its audited, consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2005, the organization's fund raising costs were 64% ($14,040,224) of related contributions which totaled $21,914,630.


Standard 12 : Detailed Functional Breakdown of Expenses - Include in the financial statements a breakdown of expenses (e.g., salaries, travel, postage, etc.) that shows what portion of these expenses was allocated to program, fund raising, and administrative activities. If the charity has more than one major program category, the schedule should provide a breakdown for each category.

   * CFA does not meet this Standard because its audited financial statements do not include a functional breakdown for each major program (i.e. patient services, community services, and public health education).


Standard 17 : Web Site Disclosures - Include on any charity websites that solicit contributions, the same information that is recommended for annual reports, as well as the mailing address of the charity and electronic access to its most recent IRS Form 990.

   * CFA does not meet this Standard because its website, www.cfoa.org, does not include all of the recommended information for those charity websites that solicit for donations. Specifically, it does not include a board roster or financial information. The website also does not provide electronic access to the organization’s most recent IRS Form 990.


Standard 18 : Privacy for Written Appeals & Internet Privacy - Address privacy concerns of donors by (a) providing in written appeals, at least annually, a means (e.g., such as a check off box) for both new and continuing donors to inform the charity if they do not want their name and address shared outside the organization, (b) providing a clear, prominent and easily accessible privacy policy on any of its websites that tells visitors (i) what information, if any, is being collected about them by the charity and how this information will be used, (ii) how to contact the charity to review personal information collected and request corrections, (iii) how to inform the charity (e.g., a check off box) that the visitor does not wish his/her personal information to be shared outside the organization, and (iv) what security measures the charity has in place to protect personal information.

   * CFA does not meet provision (b) of this Standard because its website, www.cfoa.org does not provide access to a privacy policy with the recommended information.

   The Alliance is currently unable to verify if CFA meets the remaining provision of this Standard.


Standard 19 : Cause Related Marketing - Clearly disclose how the charity benefits from the sale of products or services (i.e., cause-related marketing) that state or imply that a charity will benefit from a consumer sale or transaction. Such promotions should disclose, at the point of solicitation: (a) the actual or anticipated portion of the purchase price that will benefit the charity (e.g., 5 cents will be contributed to abc charity for every xyz company product sold), (b) the duration of the campaign (e.g., the month of October), (c) any maximum or guaranteed minimum contribution amount (e.g., up to a maximum of $200,000).

   * CFA does not meet this Standard because, in the past year, the organization participated in promotions for the sale of consumer goods and services that indicate the organization will benefit from these purchases.  The promotions, however, do not specify the actual or anticipated amount of the purchase price that will benefit the organization.


Standard 20 : Complaints - Respond promptly to and act on complaints brought to its attention by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance and/or local Better Business Bureaus about fund raising practices, privacy policy violations and/or other issues.

   * CFA does not meet this Standard because in the last 36 months, the BBB processed 9 complaints and only 4 were addressed.



In addition, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance requested but did not receive complete information on the organization’s governance and oversight, effectiveness measures, finances, solicitation materials, and annual report and is unable to verify the organization's compliance with the following 10 Standards for Charity Accountability: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, and 16.     
Cancer Fund of America (CFA) meets the remaining 3 Standards for Charity Accountability.     
    



Programs                    

CFA provides gifts-in-kind (e.g., personal care items such as adult diapers, bed pads, and other personal hygiene items) to hospices, health care providers, and nonprofit community service organizations that aid the ill, needy and infants. The organization also distributes educational material via direct mail and volunteers. CFA's affiliate, Cancer Fund of America Support Services was formed in 2002 to support the mission of CFA. The charter of Cancer Fund of America Support Services entitles CFA to elect 75% of the directors of Cancer Fund of America Support Services. The 2005 audit report summarized below includes the consolidated finances of both organizations.

For the year ended December 31, 2005, CFA's program expenses were:     

    
Program services     7,755,278
Total Program Expenses:     $7,755,278



Governance                    

Chief Executive : James Reynolds, President
Compensation*:     $218,920     

Chair of the Board: Carol Cruze
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Not provided

Board Size: 7

Paid Staff Size: 18


*2005 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.     



Fund Raising                    

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, telemarketing, grant proposals, Internet appeals, and planned giving.
    
Fund raising costs were 64% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $21,914,630, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)     
CFA incurred joint costs for informational activities and materials that included fund raising materials. The Alliance is unable to determine the breakdown of fund raising, administrative and program expenses based on CFA's 2005 audit.     



Tax Status                    

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.     



Financial                    

The following information is based on CFA's audited financial statements (consolidated with Cancer Fund of America Support Services) for the year ended December 31, 2005:     

Source of Funds     
Telemarketing     13,144,522
Gifts in kind     3,684,359
Vehicle donation program     2,787,251
Direct mail     2,066,502
Foundation and trust grants     214,853
Mailing list rental     149,609
Gain on investment in life insurance     40,451
Other     26,779
Interest income     23,801
Miscellaneous     17,506
Bequests     17,143
Total Income     $22,172,776






Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Sounds like a scam.   As soon as I asked for her name she hung up on me.  I tried to call back (  caller ID   )   and the promps were wwwrong.
  no good.   I wish the Law could hang these [***].

unknown and bothersome call

876-428-4895

Could hardly understand the man. He asked for someone else originally, had my phone # but the wrong address. When he realized he had someone else, he started talking about helping out.... I said I don't do donations over the phone for charities. He then said he was not a charity - he was asking for the money for himself, saying he was poor and had lung cancer and could I please send him some money.

He called back twice - once with the above number, once more with "unknown caller." Calling back to the number got me someone singing in a foreign language with a bunch of noise in the background.

Oops, sorry, should have posted this on a new message, as the # is different.

I have no idea who this person is and they don't leave a message either.They, tried to call with a private number before and then,called right after with this number.

Got one call to a phone number on the "no-call" last asking for my wife. I told the woman she wasn't available. She told me she was with Cancer Fund Of America Support Services so I hung up the phone. She called back again and I hung up the phone again. The third time she call I told her we wasn't interested. She said, "But! You don't understand!" so I hung up the phone again. How many times you have to tell a telemarketer you not interested and that you are on the "no call" list

These calls go on and on.  I am convinced that they are a scam.
If you have a cordless phone, when they call press "Talk" then immediately press off.

No one says anything when you answer. They don't leave a message either on your voicemail. They call mutliple times of the day and night.

i do not answer 800,866,867 or 888 calls.  i just let it ring, ring and ring, fools aren't getting any thing from me.  i did answer one call the 888-276-2971 after 2 other calls, if just a matter of minutes,i told them where they could go!

I don't care who they are or what they do. They all need to stop calling. Research or no research...giving any kind of personal info over the phone in this day and age is an act of pure stupidity.

I do not want anymore calls from this 888-276-2971 phone number.  They call at all hours of the day and night.  I am on the DO NOT CALL LIST and this is very Disturbing to get calls from a number that no one even answers when you pick up the phone.  I do not have the money to give for any donation, I live on a fixed income.  DO NOT CALL MY NUMBER ANY LONGER!

This company admits to using over 70 percent  of its revenue for fundraising. BBB uses a 20 percent cutoff for real charites. Donate and you will be paying for "ZEKE" to spam these websites!

This company admits to using over 70 percent  of its revenue for fundraising. BBB uses a 20 percent cutoff for real charites. Donate and you will be paying them to spam these websites!

Calls this number and asked for some one that I have never heard of.  But keep calling when I tell them they have a wrong number.  Need my number removed from whom ever is calling

Received a call this morning.  When I answered, the woman gave her little pep talk about how they help cancer patients with personal care things, etc & can they please count on a donation from me.  I very politely informed her that we have medical expenses of our own with our youngest daughter who will be having surgery (number 10) in March & that is where our money is going.  I also told her that we only donate to 2 specific charities and that I was sorry, but we cannot help.  She immediately got rude with me & accused me of lying to her.  She actually told me that she doubted that my daughter is really having surgery.  I told her that a parent doesn't make up lies like that about her children and that they had better not call back & then I hung up on her.  What a horrible organization posing as a charity.  I agree with some of the other folks here-a total scam.

No one answers.

tell ya what mc... they're calling your house.  I was trying to give the best advice based on my experience with them calling me.  Everyone complains about it, sure.  That won't get them to stop however, hate to to tell ya the bare facts like that.  I have gotten off their listing by telling them I will hold while they remove me.  I held, they removed me.  i can see by your tone how yours methods must have worked for u, lol.  Good luck mc

I did not answer but they keep calling and do not leave a message.

Thomas, must you yell so much? If you were totally legit than there would be no need for yelling. Actions speak louder than words and the actions of this organization speaks volumes of what it is not. The precedures and actions of this organization speaks very loudly that they are more about making money for themselves than for providing services to people and orgainizations that are dealing with life threating diseases. If you were to have a family member or two, or a close friend deal with any form of cancer maybe you would feel differently about your actions. As far as a firm getting charity rating with tax exemption, most business people realize that it isn't that diffulcult and certainly does mean that they are not corrupt.