C O M M E N TA R Y
TAMPA BAY CARES
ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I
do in my position with the Rays
is to represent the team on
eleven nonprofit boards and/or
advisory boards. I consider it to
be a tremendous privilege for me, as I
get to see how they function and how
they use their funds. I am very sensitive
to where their money goes and how it is
being used.
There are several ways to discover how
donations are utilized. Two of the best
and most popular resources are Charity
Navigator and GuideStar. They review
items such as the 990 forms and others
required by the IRS that reveal things
about the operation of each entity. I like
to research what the administration of
each charity is being paid. The bottom
line to me is the percentage of the total
raised that is used for administrative
costs compared to what is actually used
for the organization’s mission.
The results, in some cases, will have
you shaking your head in disbelief. Some
of the charities that plead for your money
nationally have top executives who make
into the hundreds of thousands, if not
millions of dollars. I do not pass judgement
on how they do their jobs, but I do
wonder how much more could be done if
there was a little more “charity” at the
executive levels.
One of the things that I have learned
over my years of service is that Tampa
you have to do some further research
on your own. Not all charities show
up in the ratings and that does not
mean that they are not worthwhile. It
is just an indication that you should
explore their financials yourself.
When you consider donating dollars,
think about where you want to make a
difference and the cause that stirs
passion within you. By doing so, you will
be giving your dollars with a purpose
and helping them to achieve their mission.
You are going to feel better because you
will be making a difference where you so
desire.
Whether you give to a national or local
charity, it really makes no difference if
it has a mission that speaks to you. I prefer
to keep the money locally, but that is just
me. Oh, and keep in mind that charities
have a tough road over the summer
months. Maybe consider giving incrementally
during the year, or earlier, as
opposed to waiting until December 26th.
The tax deduction, if it is a 501(c) (3), will
be exactly the same.
The great thing I can say is, “Tampa
Bay cares!”
By Dick Crippen
Dick Crippen
Bay is indeed a generous and giving area.
There are many great causes, and most of
them are functioning as they should be.
Their percentage of the administrative
costs is kept in line with what is reasonable
and they should be commended for
that. The question is, how do you know
which ones are and which are not?
Recently I received a press release from
the Pediatric Cancer Foundation touting
its brand new four-star rating by Charity
Navigator. Not long after, I got another
release, this time from the YMCA of
Greater St. Petersburg, again boasting a
four-star rating. That made me curious.
So, I contacted Charity Navigator to
inquire about the four and three-star
charities in the immediate Tampa Bay area.
Out of 62 local charities they researched,
21 of them were rated four stars. Of the
remaining organizations, 27 were ranked
as three stars. I think that those ratings
are terrific and say a lot about our local
charities.
The two rating services I mentioned are
simply tools to assure that you are getting
a good bang for your buck when you
donate. However, in order to be certain,
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166 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE MARCH/APRIL 2015