Voto Latino Foundation

Voto Latino Foundation does not meet the following 9 Standards for Charity Accountability:

Standard 1 (Oversight of Operations and Staff)
Organizations shall have a board of directors that provides adequate oversight of the charity's operations and its staff. Indication of adequate oversight includes, but is not limited to, regularly scheduled appraisals of the CEO's performance, evidence of disbursement controls such as board approval of the budget, fund raising practices, establishment of a conflict of interest policy, and establishment of accounting procedures sufficient to safeguard charity finances.

VLF does not meet this Standard because its board of directors does not:

• Review the performance of the Chief Executive Officer at least once every two years.

Standard 6 (Board Policy on Effectiveness)
Have a board policy of assessing, no less than every two years, the organization's performance and effectiveness and of determining future actions required to achieve its mission.

VLF does not meet this Standard because:

• The board of directors does not have a written policy stating that, at least every two years, an appraisal be done assessing the organization’s performance and effectiveness and determining future actions required to achieve its mission.

Standard 7 (Board Approval of Written Report on Effectiveness)
Submit to the organization's governing body, for its approval, a written report that outlines the results of the aforementioned performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions.

VLF does not meet this Standard because:

• The board of directors did not perform an effectiveness assessment of the organization within the last two years.

Standard 8 (Program Service Expense Ratio)
Spend at least 65% of its total expenses on program activities.

VLF does not meet this Standard because:

• According to its IRS Form 990 for the year ended December 31, 2021, the organization spent $1,533,779 or 57% of its total expenses on programs.

Standard 11 (Financial Statements)
Make available to all, on request, complete annual financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. When total annual gross income exceeds $1 million, these statements should be audited in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. For charities whose annual gross income is less than $1 million, a review by a certified public accountant is sufficient to meet this standard. For charities whose annual gross income is less than $250,000, an internally produced, complete financial statement is sufficient to meet this standard.

VLF does not meet this Standard because:

• Although the organization reported receiving $3,827,993 in revenue for 2021, VLF states that it does not have audited financial statements.

Standard 14 (Budget)
Have a board-approved annual budget for its current fiscal year, outlining projected expenses for major program activities, fund raising, and administration.

VLF does not meet this Standard because, when the organization provided 2023 budget information, it indicated that the budget:

• Did not identify total projected program service expenses.
• Did not identify total projected fundraising expenses.
• Did not identify total projected administrative expenses..

Standard 16 (Annual Report)
Have an annual report available to all, on request, that includes: (a) the organization's mission statement, (b) a summary of the past year's program service accomplishments, (c) a roster of the officers and members of the board of directors, (d) financial information that includes (i) total income in the past fiscal year, (ii) expenses in the same program, fund raising and administrative categories as in the financial statements, and (iii) ending net assets.

VLF does not meet this Standard because:

• The organization did not submit a copy of its 2021 annual report to the BBB Wise Giving Alliance upon request.

Standard 17 (Web Site Disclosures)
Include on any charity websites that solicit contributions, the same information that is recommended for annual reports, as well as the mailing address of the charity and electronic access to its most recent IRS Form 990.

VLF does not meet this Standard because the organization’s website, https://votolatinofoundation.org/, does not include all of the recommended information for those charity websites that solicit for donations. Specifically, it does not include:

• A summary of the organization's 2021 program service accomplishments.

Standard 18 (Privacy for Written Appeals & Internet Privacy)
Address privacy concerns of donors by (a) providing in written appeals, at least annually, a means (e.g., such as a check off box) for both new and continuing donors to inform the charity if they do not want their name and address shared outside the organization, (b) providing a clear, prominent and easily accessible privacy policy on any of its websites that tells visitors (i) what information, if any, is being collected about them by the charity and how this information will be used, (ii) how to contact the charity to review personal information collected and request corrections, (iii) how to inform the charity (e.g., a check off box) that the visitor does not wish his/her personal information to be shared outside the organization, and (iv) what security measures the charity has in place to protect personal information.

VLF not meet this Standard because the privacy policy on the organization's website, https://votolatinofoundation.org/, does not indicate:

• What security measures are in place to protect personal information that is collected.

Voto Latino Foundation meets the remaining 11 Standards for Charity Accountability.