Invisible Children does not meet the following 5 Standards for Charity Accountability:
Standard 6 (Board Policy on Effectiveness)
Have a board policy of assessing, no less than every two years, the organization's performance and effectiveness and of determining future actions required to achieve its mission.
Invisible Children does not meet this Standard because:
- The board of directors does not have a written policy stating that, at least every two years, an appraisal be done assessing the organization?s performance and effectiveness and determining future actions required to achieve its mission.
Standard 7 (Board Approval of Written Report on Effectiveness)
Submit to the organization's governing body, for its approval, a written report that outlines the results of the aforementioned performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions.
Invisible Children does not meet this Standard because:
- The organization has not completed an effectiveness assessment in the last two years.
Standard 14 (Budget)
Have a board-approved annual budget for its current fiscal year, outlining projected expenses for major program activities, fund raising, and administration.
Invisible Children does not meet this Standard because, when the organization provided 2020 budget information, it indicated that the budget:
- Did not identify total projected program service expenses, broken down by major program (advocacy and awareness and protection).
- Did not identify total projected fund raising expenses.
- Did not identify total projected administrative expenses.
Standard 16 (Annual Report)
Have an annual report available to all, on request, that includes: (a) the organization's mission statement, (b) a summary of the past year's program service accomplishments, (c) a roster of the officers and members of the board of directors, (d) financial information that includes (i) total income in the past fiscal year, (ii) expenses in the same program, fund raising and administrative categories as in the financial statements, and (iii) ending net assets.
Invisible Children does not meet this Standard because the organization's 2018 annual report did not include:
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.
Invisible Children does not meet this Standard because the privacy policy on its website, http://invisiblechildren.com, does not indicate:
- What security measures are in place to protect personal information that is collected.
The BBB Wise Giving Alliance requested but did not receive complete information from the organization and is unable to verify the organization's compliance with the following Standard(s) for Charity Accountability:
13
Invisible Children meets the remaining 14 Standards for Charity Accountability.
Invisible Children focuses on the protection of civilians from violence through connecting people to each other and the outside world, violence prevention, and community resilience. The organization connects remote communities in Central Africa through an early warning system. Invisible Children also has a crisis tracker in near real-time, a crisis-mapping social web platform where people can report incidents. The organization also focuses on the advancement of effective policies through mobilizing groups of people to support international efforts to make children and families safer.
For the year ended June 30, 2019, Invisible Children's program expenses were:
| Protection |
$4,681,614 |
| Advocacy and awareness |
$14,764 |
| Total Program Expenses: |
$4,696,378 |
-
Chief Executive
Lisa Dougan, Executive Director
-
Compensation*
$122,075
-
Chair of the Board
Michael Poffenberger
-
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Executive Director, Center For Action and Contemplation
-
Board Size
10
-
Paid Staff Size
80
*2018 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
Method(s) Used:
Grant proposals, Internet, Membership appeals, Telephone appeals, Cause- related marketing (affinity credit cards, consumer product sales, etc.)
Invisible Children incurred joint costs of $34,420 for informational materials and activities that included fund raising materials. Of those costs, $30,503 was allocated to program expenses and $3,917 was allocated to fund raising expenses.
Fundraising costs were less than 2% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $6,195,663, are donations received as a result of fundraising activities.)
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.
The following information is based on Invisible Children's audited financial statements - consolidated for the year ended June 30, 2019.
| Source of Funds |
| Government grants |
$5,467,846 |
| Foundation grants and partnerships |
$477,871 |
| General donations |
$236,624 |
| Contributed goods and services |
$13,322 |
| Other income |
$1,127 |
| Total Income |
$6,196,790 |
- Programs: 78%
- Administrative: 21%
- Fundraising: Less than 1%
| Total Income |
$6,196,790 |
| Program expenses |
$4,696,378 |
| Fundraising expenses |
$104,055 |
| Administrative expenses |
$1,237,323 |
| Other expenses |
$0 |
| Total expenses: |
$6,037,756 |
| Income in Excess of Expenses |
$159,034 |
| Beginning Net Assets |
$841,568 |
| Other Changes In Net Assets |
$0 |
| Ending Net Assets |
$1,000,602 |
| Total Liabilities |
$376,385 |
| Total Assets |
$1,376,987 |
Note: According to Invisible Children's audited financial statements - consolidated - for the year ended June 30, 2019, the organization received in-kind contributions totaling $13,322 in the form of advertising and legal services.