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Firefighters Support Services (DISSOLVED)

CharityWatch report issued
December 2015

F
CharityWatch Grade
Our independent grade based
on a number of factors.
 
10%
Program Percentage
Amount spent on programs
relative to overhead.
 
$83
Cost to Raise $100
Amount spent to raise
$100 of contributions.

Contact Information

Firefighters Support Services (DISSOLVED)
2011 Oak Street
Wyandotte, MI 48192

Other Names

None

Tax Status

501(c)3

Stated Mission

To provide fire safety educational and charitable support services to at risk children and burn victims. Also supports firefighters and paramedics through monetary donations and goods and services.

View similar charities
Data based on Fiscal Year Ended 06/30/2015

Program Percentage: 10%

The percentage of Firefighters Support Services (DISSOLVED)'s cash budget it spends on programs relative to overhead (fundraising, management, and general expenses).

$1,700,000

Calculated Total Expenses

(rounded)

 

Cost to Raise $100: $83

How many dollars Firefighters Support Services (DISSOLVED) spends on fundraising to raise each $100 of contributions.

$1,600,000

Calculated Total Contributions

(rounded)

Government Funding

0% to 24%

Percentage of cash revenue
coming from government sources

 

Financial Documents

Entity Document Type Tax ID
Firefighters Support Services IRS Form 990 20-5874952
Firefighters Support Services Audited Financial Statements 20-5874952
Entity: Firefighters Support Services
Document Type: IRS Form 990
Tax ID: 20-5874952
Entity: Firefighters Support Services
Document Type: Audited Financial Statements
Tax ID: 20-5874952

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.
Firefighters Support Services (DISSOLVED)
does not meet governance benchmarks.
 
Firefighters Support Services (DISSOLVED)
does not meet 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

Unable to Provide Salaries

CharityWatch is unable to provide a range of Top Three Salaries for this charity for the above fiscal reporting year because we lack complete salary data for the organization. Except for officers, directors, and trustees, the IRS does not require breakouts of salaries totaling less than $100,000.

For example, XYZ charity would be required to provide a breakout in its tax form of compensation to its president of $55,000, but would not be required to provide a breakout of $99,000 in compensation to its top medical researcher if that person is not also an officer, director, or trustee of the organization.

This charity reports that compensation to its officers, directors, and trustees is under $100,000 per individual. Donors who would like to view limited salary data for this organization should refer to its tax form, which may be available on the charity's web site or from a number of third-party sources. See CharityWatch's Links page for information on obtaining copies of charity tax forms.


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.
Firefighters Support Services dissolved as of 9/26/2016, according to its final IRS Form 990 tax return filed for the period of 7/01/2016 through 9/26/2016.

For more related to the dissolution, please click on the "Articles & Alerts" tab (above).
According to the Firefighters Support Services (FSS) tax filing for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015, FSS received total in-kind contributions valued at $427,385, including in-kind contributions of blankets valued at $414,785 (IRS Form 990 Schedules M & D).

[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 Firefighters Support Services audit of June 30, 2015 (Note C, Fundraising Expenses):

"The Organization uses the services of a professional fundraising organization to generate donations. The [O]rganization has a ten year contract with the Associated Community Services, Inc. (ACS) commencing May 8, 2007. ACS will attempt to raise donations through the use of telemarketing. Firefighters Support Services, Inc., will pay ACS 55% of the total gross revenues collected by ACS."

"Firefighters Support Services, Inc., also has a ten year contract commencing April 12, 2007 with Central Processing Services, LLC (CPS) to provide caging and fulfillment services in conjunction with the ACS contract. The fee for this service is 30% of gross revenue collected. Beginning year six through year ten the sum was to be reduced by one half percentage of gross revenue per year, however this was not done. CPS had agreed to refund the amounts overcharged in error by reducing the weekly charge by $1,000 until the overcharges were repaid in full, as of June 30, 2015 all overcharges have been repaid. As of June 30, 2015 the caging and fulfillment fees have been reduced to 28%. The balance of the refundable fees at June 30, 2015 and 2014 are $0 and $21,648, respectively."

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