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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: April 2025 Expires: April 2027

Vascular Birthmarks Foundation

Accredited Charity
Accredited Charity

Meets Standards
Accreditation seal
(877) 823-4646
PO Box 106
Latham, NY, 12110
https://birthmark.org/
📄 Full Report 🖨️ Print 📋 BBB Charity Standards

Standards For Charity Accountability

Governance

  1. Board Oversight
  2. Board Size
  3. Board Meetings
  4. Board Compensation
  5. Conflict of Interest

Measuring Effectiveness

  1. Effectiveness Policy
  2. Effectiveness Report

Finances

  1. Program Expenses
  2. Fundraising Expenses
  3. Accumulating Funds
  4. Audit Report
  5. Detailed Expense Breakdown
  6. Accurate Expense Reporting
  7. Budget Plan

Fundraising & Info

  1. Truthful Materials
  2. Annual Report
  3. Website Disclosures
  4. Donor Privacy
  5. Cause Marketing Disclosures
  6. Complaints

Vascular Birthmarks Foundation meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Stated Purpose:
VBF is an international charitable organization that networks families affected by a vascular birthmark, anomaly, tumor, or associated syndrome to the appropriate medical professionals for evaluation and/or treatment, provides informational resources, as well as sponsors physician education, mobilizes medical missions, collaborates on research, and supports programs that promote acceptance.

Year, State Incorporated:
1994, NY

The Vascular Birthmarks Foundation (VBF) is an international charitable organization that networks families affected by a vascular birthmark, tumor, or syndrome to appropriate medical professionals for evaluation and/or treatment.

VBF partners with the American Academy of Pediatrics and similar organizations to provide information and educational materials to patients and their families and to treatment specialists in the U.S. and globally. Resources are distributed directly by the Foundation and via its passionate network of VBF Global Ambassadors.

VBF hosts an annual no-cost conference and clinic for patients and their families to meet with medical experts, attend lectures on the latest diagnosis and treatment techniques, and seek mutual support from other families affected by vascular birthmarks.

VBF’s research mission is dedicated to finding a cause and a cure for vascular anomalies.

VBF’s international physician education program includes intensive, one-on-one residencies for foreign physicians with VBF’s U.S.-based expert physicians and mission trips to train physicians in other countries. The mission trips include no-cost clinics so attendees can be evaluated by expert physicians. 

VBF sponsors the annual Vascular Birthmarks Month of Awareness each May and the VBF International Day of Awareness on May 15th.  Through coordinated social media campaigns, local and regional events, VBF educates families and physicians worldwide about the importance of early diagnosis and available treatment options.  Awareness activities continue year round along with the Foundation’s “Ask/Accept” anti-bullying program that promotes acceptance for individuals living with a vascular birthmark. 

For the year ended December 31, 2023, Vascular Birthmarks Foundation's program expenses were:

Other $230,384
Conference $167,134
Total Program Expenses $397,518

Chief Executive
Linda Rozell-Shannon, Founder

Chair of the Board
Lauri Firstenberg, Community Volunteer

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation

Board Size
17

Paid Staff Size
7

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Invitations to fund raising events, Internet, Cause-related marketing (affinity credit cards, consumer product sales, etc.), Appeals via Social Media (Facebook, etc.)

% of Related Contributions on Fundraising: 19.16%

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on Vascular Birthmarks Foundation's audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Source of Funds
Contributions $432,756
Conference Income $76,588
Special Event Income $64,697
Other Income $30,456
Investment Return $13,886
Scholarship Income $6,269
Federated Fundraising $6,134
Total Income $630,786

Programs: 66% Fundraising: 14% Administrative: 20%

Total Income $630,786
Total expenses: $602,989
  Program expenses $397,518
  Fundraising expenses $84,100
  Administrative expenses $121,371
  Other expenses $0
Income in Excess of Expenses $27,797
Beginning Net Assets $1,096,043
Other Changes In Net Assets $0
Ending Net Assets $1,123,840
Total Liabilities $10,170
Total Assets $1,134,010

An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.

This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.

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Report completed by:
BBB of Upstate New York