AmeriCares Logo
star star star star_border star_border

Author: Kaitlyn Short

LAST UPDATED: June 27th, 2019

Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, AmeriCares provides disaster relief and support. The primary focus of AmeriCares’ program centers around medical support. 

Top Ranked Companies

thumb_up

The Good

  • Total income
  • Administrative expenses
  • Fundraising expenses
  • Program percentage
  • Donor communication
  • Awards

Total Income

AmeriCares has reported fluctuating income over the last several years on its IRS Tax Form 990s. 2015: $741,050,199 2014: $559,651,714 2013: $620,801,900 2012: $524,979,008

Administrative Expenses

Total administrative and management expenses for AmeriCares is equivalent to .06 percent of its annual revenue. The president and CEO received a salary of $324,840 in 2015, which is 0.05 percent of the annual revenue of AmeriCares and well within the range of similar salaries for others in his position, if not lower.

Fundraising Expenses

On average, AmeriCares spends between 1 and 2 percent for its fundraising activities. Fundraising is an important activity, as 99.5 percent of its annual revenue comes directly from donors, gifts, and grants. AmeriCares has an excellent rate of fundraising efficacy, with less than one cent spent on fundraising each dollar raised.

Program Percentage

Charity watchdog organizations look for how much of a charitable organization's annual revenue is used to support its program. Most organizations state that an average of 70 to 80 percent of annual revenue being used for program delivery shows responsible asset management and program delivery. AmeriCares uses approximately 98 percent of its annual revenue for program delivery, which is well above the target set by charity watchdog organizations.

Donor Communication

AmeriCares communicates with interested parties or donors via email newsletters and postal mailers. Those interested in receiving the latest news from the organization can follow the organization on social media or visit AmeriCares' blog.

Awards

In addition to recognizing organizations and individuals for their accomplishments, AmeriCares has been recognized by other organizations for its work. 2011: Bunting Family Foundation awards $18,000 Grant to Weisman AmeriCares Free Clinic The grant was awarded to continue the foundation's support for the clinic, which provides free medical care to members of the community. The foundation has been a regular supporter of AmeriCares since 2001 and has gifted grants totaling over $98,000 to the clinic. 2012: Joe's Hero Former senator Joseph Lieberman awards organizations and individuals in Connecticut who are making valuable contributions to the community, state, country, and world. He selected AmeriCares as the annual recipient of this honor in 2012. 2013: Global Organization of People of Indian Origin-Connecticut (GOPIO-CT) AmeriCares was recognized for its service to India by the GOPIO-CT in May 2013. AmeriCares has an international headquarters in Mumbai and has been registered as a charitable trust in India since 2006.
thumb_down

The Bad

  • Negative press
  • Accessible financial information

Negative Press

Other than some bizarre allegations from conspiracy theorists, there is no negative press about AmeriCares. Additionally, there is no solid evidence of corruption or wrongdoing within the organization.

Accessible Financial Information

AmeriCares is transparent with its financial information once it has been published online. The organization publishes its IRS Tax Form 990s under the "Our Credentials" tab on its website.
gavel

The Bottom Line

Those looking to donate to a charitable organization that has a highly efficient program delivery model should consider donating to AmeriCares. AmeriCares states that each dollar raised is then leveraged by AmeriCares into at least twenty dollars for program delivery. Additionally, the lack of credible negative press, scandals, or controversies is significant. Few large charitable organizations can boast the same. We consider AmeriCares as a charity worth donating to.
Was this content helpful?
thumb_up Yes thumb_down No

Star Rating

info
star star star star_border star_border

2 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

50%

4 grade

0%

3 grade

0%

2 grade

0%

1 grade

50%

Sentiment Criteria

Value

star star star star star

Quality

star star star star star

Service

star star star star star

Trustworthiness

star star star star star
We couldn't find any matches for your request. Click here to try again.