Their financial score of 59.91 earned them only 1 star; however, it was comforting to see March of Dimes boasted a 4 star rating for their Accountability and Transparency. A major factor of their low financial score is the percentage of the charity's total expense spent on the programs and services it delivers, which is only 67.4%. Charities in good standing should have a percentage of at least 75%, so March of Dimes falls well short. In comparison, the National Wheelchair Basketball Association has a percent of 76.7% which shows they are performing efficiently and staying true to their mission and programs. .
If I had to choose to work for one of the two charities we studied, I would have to choose the National Wheelchair Basketball Association. I would choose this charity for three reasons. First, they have a fantastic financial rating and have not lost sight of where their revenues should be directed; funding their programs. Second, with only four salaried employees I would be able to have a bigger impact and lead the charity in the direction I believe it should go. I would ensure that the NWBA improves their transparency and accountability, drastically update their social media footprint, and improve the ease of donation. The final reason is two-fold, I have played basketball my entire life so the charity aligns with my hobbies and secondly, I have a friend who was recently paralyzed and has actually begun playing basketball in his wheelchair. My friend was and is very active and athletic so being able to still play basketball has improved his way of life.
2. Form 990-Evaluation and Area of Improvement.
After reviewing the Form 990 for both charities, I believe it provides adequate disclosure of financial position. The area I was most impressed by was the transparency of expenses and the specifics of each area. After reviewing both expense sections for the charities, I was blown away by the amount of money they spend on Telemarketing.