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Starlight Children's Foundation (National Office)

CharityWatch report issued
October 2022

Top-Rated Charity
B+
CharityWatch Grade
Our independent grade based
on a number of factors.
 
73%
Program Percentage
Amount spent on programs
relative to overhead.
 
$18
Cost to Raise $100
Amount spent to raise
$100 of contributions.

Contact Information

Starlight Children's Foundation (National Office)
5855 Green Valley Circle
Suite 107
Culver City, CA 90230

Other Names

None

Tax Status

501(c)3

Stated Mission

Delivers happiness to seriously ill children and their families.

View similar charities
Data based on Fiscal Year Ended 12/31/2021

Program Percentage: 73%

The percentage of Starlight Children's Foundation (National Office)'s cash budget it spends on programs relative to overhead (fundraising, management, and general expenses).

$7,900,000

Calculated Total Expenses

(rounded)

 

Cost to Raise $100: $18

How many dollars Starlight Children's Foundation (National Office) spends on fundraising to raise each $100 of contributions.

$8,100,000

Calculated Total Contributions

(rounded)

Government Funding

0% to 24%

Percentage of cash revenue
coming from government sources

 

Financial Documents

Entity Document Type Tax ID
Starlight Children's Foundation IRS Form 990 95-3802159
Starlight Children's Foundation Audited Financial Statements 95-3802159
Entity: Starlight Children's Foundation
Document Type: IRS Form 990
Tax ID: 95-3802159
Entity: Starlight Children's Foundation
Document Type: Audited Financial Statements
Tax ID: 95-3802159

Governance & Transparency

CharityWatch evaluates certain criteria related to a charity's Governance and Transparency. Donors may want to consider a charity's willingness to be open and transparent with CharityWatch to be a good litmus test for determining its commitment to public accountability.
This charity is Top-Rated
What does it mean to be Top-Rated?
 
Starlight Children's Foundation (National Office)
meets governance benchmarks.
 
Starlight Children's Foundation (National Office)
meets transparency benchmarks.
Transparency
Provides Financial Information
Audit Accessibility
Governance: Policies
Reports regularly & consistently monitoring & enforcing compliance with a written Conflict of Interest Policy
Reports required, annual disclosure by officers, directors, and key staff of interests that could give rise to conflicts
Reports having a written Whistleblower Policy
Reports having a written Document Retention and Destruction Policy
Governance: Financials
Reports providing copy of tax form to all board members prior to filing it with IRS
Reports that financial statements were audited by an independent accountant
Governance: Board of Directors
Reports at least 5 voting board members
51% or more of voting board members reported as independent
Reports documenting minutes of board and board committee meetings
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy No Sharing  

  Name Title Compensation
1 Adam Garone CEO $374,284
2 Mike Olson CFO $172,443
3 Ross Miller Controller $137,615
1
Name: Adam Garone
Title: CEO
Compensation: $374,284
2
Name: Mike Olson
Title: CFO
Compensation: $172,443
3
Name: Ross Miller
Title: Controller
Compensation: $137,615

CharityWatch Analysts perform an in-depth analysis of charities' audited financial statements and IRS tax filings, and often review other documents such as state filings, annual reports, and fundraising contracts during their evaluations. Below are select notes that CharityWatch believes may be of interest to donors.

CharityWatch's rating of Starlight Children's Foundation (National Office) is for the U.S. based 501(c)(3) public charity (tax ID #95-3802159). The rating does not include the financial activities of the Foundation's affiliate organizations.

According to the Starlight Children's Foundation audit of December 31, 2021 (Note 1, Organization):

"The Foundation licenses the Starlight trademark to international affiliates in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom (the International Affiliates) through affiliate agreements, pursuant to which the affiliates deliver programs in their territories dedicated to the Starlight mission. Affiliate agreements entered into between each International Affiliate and the Foundation provide for common purposes and policy direction.

"The accompanying [audited] financial statements were prepared to present the financial information of the Foundation in the United States. The International Affiliates operate independently. The Foundation does not exercise control, nor does it have economic interests in the International Affiliates. Therefore, the financial results of the International Affiliates are not consolidated into the accompanying [audited] financial statements [of the Foundation]..."

According to the Starlight Children's Foundation audit of December 31, 2021 (Note 2 re: Donated goods and services), the Foundation reports receiving in-kind donated goods and services in 2021 on which it placed a total value of $3,550,232.

[Note: CharityWatch generally excludes the value of in-kind (non-cash) donations of goods and services from its calculations of Program % and Cost to Raise $100. More information on how grades are calculated and the treatment of in-kind donations can be found on the Our Process page.]

According to the Starlight Children's Foundation audit of December 31, 2021 (Note 10, Concentrations and Risks):  "Two donors accounted for approximately 73% of the Foundation's total donation revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021."

According to the Starlight Children's Foundation audit of December 31, 2021 (Note 6, PPP Loan):

"On February 16, 2021, the Foundation received a loan from City National Bank (CNB) totaling $553,340, pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)...of the CARES Act, enacted on March 27, 2020. Funds from the loan may only be used for payroll costs, mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments. Under the terms of the PPP, certain amounts of the loan may be forgiven if they are used for qualifying expenses as described in the CARES Act. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Foundation used the full $553,340 loan amount for qualifying expenses and recognized an equivalent amount as grant revenue in the [audited] statement of activities and changes in net assets. The loan was forgiven in full on February 17, 2022."

According to the Starlight Children's Foundation audit of December 31, 2021 (Note 11, Related Party Transactions):

"A member of the Foundation's Board of Directors is a former partner and current senior counsel at a law firm that provided in-kind legal services of approximately $245,000 to the Foundation during the year ended December 31, 2021..."

According to the Starlight Children's Foundation audit of December 31, 2021 (Note 13, COVID-19):

"In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared novel coronavirus (COVID-19) a pandemic. Although management is continuing to monitor and assess the effects of the pandemic on the Foundation and has implemented plans to mitigate some risks arising from the impact of COVID-19, including the PPP loan, the full impact of COVID-19 on the Foundation's operations and finances is uncertain and will depend on the duration and depth of the pandemic."

According to the Starlight Children's Foundation 2021 tax filing re: Compensation, Supplemental Information (IRS Form 990, Schedule J, Part III):

Regarding nonfixed payments to officers, directors, trustees, key employees and highest compensated employees (Schedule J, Part I, line 7):  "The board determines discretionary incentive payments."

The Foundation reports a "Bonus & incentive compensation" payment of $28,426 for Adam Garone, CEO. His reported total compensation in 2021 is $374,284 (IRS Form 990, Schedule J, Part II).


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