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Feed the Children

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Feed The Children
Founded1979
FounderLarry Jones and Frances Jones
TypeNon-governmental organization
FocusDelivers food, medicine, clothing and other necessities to individuals, children and families who lack these essentials due to famine, war, poverty, or natural disaster
Location
Websitewww.feedthechildren.org

Feed The Children founded in 1979 is a Christian, international, non-profit relief organization, whose stated mission is "to deliver food, medicine, clothing and other necessities to individuals, children and families who lack these essentials due to famine, war, poverty or natural disaster". In FY 2008, Feed The Children distributed more than 133 million pounds of food and other essentials to children and their families in all 50 states and internationally, supplementing more than 760,000 meals each day. During its 30-year history, Feed The Children has worked in 118 countries around the globe.[1]

In addition, through its partnership with NAEHCY (National Association of Educators for Homeless Children and Youth), Feed The Children has distributed more than 200,000 backpacks filled with school supplies, food and personal care items to homeless children enrolled in U.S. public schools. In Africa, Feed The Children provides more than a 160,000 meals daily through school feeding programs.

Feed The Children is currently the seventh largest charity in the United States, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, based on private support.[2] Feed the Children is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Based on the rating criteria of the American Institute of Philanthropy, Feed The Children receives an "F" rating for financial efficiency for spending only 21-23 percent of its cash budget on charitable programs.[3] Feed The Children disputes this rating, since the American Institute of Philanthropy does not include "gifts in kind" in its ratings, while other established charity rating organizations do include these gifts in their ratings. The American Institute of Philanthropy has long questioned the high value Feed the Children places on its in-kind goods,[4][5] as have Feed the Children's own auditors.[6] The American Institute of Philanthropy argues that mixing these potentially overvalued items in with the charity's cash spending would make the charity appear to be operating more efficiently than it really is which could be misleading to donors.[7]

Disaster relief

When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005, Feed The Children self-reported sending over 650 semi tractor-trailers totaling more than 40 million pounds of donated food and relief supplies. Between the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States and the South Asian tsunami in December 2004, Feed The Children self-reported sending more than 31 million pounds of food and relief supplies to the affected regions.

U.S. programs

Feed The Children domestic programs are focused on distributing essential items to needy families. Corporate partners donate surplus food and other supplies. Feed The Children's wholly-owned for-profit subsidiary, FTC Transportation, Inc., picks up in-kind contributions from corporate warehouses and brings them to one of five Feed The Children regional distribution centers. The supplies and boxes are then delivered to pre-approved, independent partner agencies that, in turn, distribute the supplies through over 50,000 feeding centers, homeless shelters, churches and various other organizations located in communities across the U.S.[8] The charity watchdog, the American Institute of Philanthropy, reported in 2009 on a complaint it received from a Feed the Children partner charity. The charity reported to the American Institute of Philanthropy that Feed the Children requires its partner charities to arrange and pay for transportation of goods from its warehouse, and that arranging transportation for the items was costly and that the goods made available to his charity by Feed the Children were not always items his small charity could easily use or what was most needed.[9] In December 2006, Feed the Children, conducted the largest one day food distribution effort in New York City on 138th Street in Harlem, along with the American Bible Society and the Abyssinian Baptist Church. Over 10,000 families received a refrigerator full of food before Christmas.

International programs

Feed The Children's international programs focus on providing food, medical assistance, emergency relief and sustainable development. Recent international efforts include the Frances Jones Abandoned Babies and Children (ABC) Center in Nairobi, Kenya, which provides medical treatment and safe haven for children who have been orphaned or abandoned by poverty and the AIDS epidemic. Other international projects funded by Feed The Children include medical mission trips and Builders for Children. Builders for Children provides volunteer construction labor for underdeveloped regions of Central America, Africa, Eastern Europe and South America. Another example of an international project funded by Feed the Children is the "Casa del Niño" (House of the child) in Barrio Ingles, La Ceiba, Honduras. In 2009 FTC has greatly expanded its program in Malawi. Using in-kind donations from Nuskin, Inc, 50,000 orphans and pre-school children, mostly in rural areas, receive a fortified porridge, VitaMeal.[10]

Financial accountability

According to FTC, in 2008, 91% of its budget went to program services (childcare, food, medical, disaster relief, education and community development).[11] 6 percent went to fund raising and 3 percent went to management and supporting services. According to the American Institute of Philanthropy, the watchdog that informs donors how their cash donations to charity are spent, Feed the Children spent only 21-23% of its cash budget on its programs in 2008, and spent $63 to $65 to raise each $100 cash contribution. The watchdog further reported that, based on Feed the Children's 2008 audited financial statements, the charity spent about 54% of its cash budget of $125 million on "television and radio," "direct mail," and "direct mail postage."[12]

Leadership dispute

After a lengthy leadership dispute between founder Larry Jones and the board and top executives of the charity, Jones agreed to give up operational control in August 2009. On November 6, 2009, the board voted to fire Jones from his position as president.[13][14] Jones is currently seeking reinstatement as President in court.[15]

Controversy

According to The Oklahoman, Oklahoma's Attorney General opened an investigation into allegations that Feed the Children misused charity funds. The investigation centers around Feed the Children's former President and founder, Larry Jones and other charity officials. Some of the allegations against Jones include, "taking bribes, hiding porn magazines at the charity, "bugging” executives’ offices, misspending charity funds, pocketing travel money, keeping gifts from appearances, secretly giving himself a raise, and misusing a charity employee as a nanny." Jones denies the allegations, and says some charity officials, "knowingly failed to pay taxes on purchases, lied about their efforts in Haiti to get contributions, mismanaged the charity’s savings accounts, and improperly fired whistleblowers."[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Feed The Children Annual Report and Audited Financials"
  2. ^ "The Chronicle of Philanthropy: The Philanthropy 400 Report"
  3. ^ American Institute of Philanthropy’s articles on Feed The Children
  4. ^ The American Institute of Philanthropy, "The Most Outrageous Charity in America: Larry Jones' Feed the Children". Accessed October 29, 2009.
  5. ^ The American Institute of Philanthropy, "Charity Questions Value of Donated Goods". Accessed October 29, 2009.
  6. ^ April 11, 2008 Feed the Children Board of Directors Meeting Minutes. Accessed October 29, 2009
  7. ^ "The Most Outrageous Charity in American: Larry Jones' Feed the Children," paragraph 5. Accessed October 29, 2009.
  8. ^ Hoovers Fact Sheet
  9. ^ The American Institute of Philanthropy, "Charity Questions Value of Donated Goods". Accessed October 29, 2009.
  10. ^ http://www.afriquejet.com/news/africa-news/malawi:-50,000-children-saved-from-stunted-growth-2010032446495.html Accessed May 3, 2010
  11. ^ http://www.feedthechildren.net
  12. ^ "The Most Outrageous Charity in American: Larry Jones' Feed the Children," paragraph 3. Accessed October 29, 2009.
  13. ^ Nolan Clay, "Feed The Children board fires founder Larry Jones", The Oklahoman, November 7, 2009.
  14. ^ "Feed The Children founder fired", AP at KTEN.com, November 6, 2009.
  15. ^ Nolan Clay, "Attorney general reviews allegations against Oklahoma charity" The Oklahoman, April 10, 2010.
  16. ^ Nolan Clay, "Attorney general reviews allegations against Oklahoma charity" The Oklahoman, April 10, 2010.
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