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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: July 2024 Expires: July 2026

Religious Freedom Coalition

Standards Not Met
Standards Not Met
1 3 4
Post Office Box 77511
Washington, DC, 20013

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

Religious Freedom Coalition does not meet the following 3 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.

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

  • Have a voting member of the board who is assigned the responsibility of serving as the treasurer.

Standard 3 (Frequency and Attendance of Board Meetings)
An organization shall have a minimum of three evenly spaced meetings per year of the full governing body with a majority in attendance, with face-to-face participation. A conference call of the full board can substitute for one of the three meetings of the governing body. For all meetings, alternative modes of participation are acceptable for those with physical disabilities.

RFC does not meet this Standard because:

  • The board of directors held two meetings in 2023.

Standard 4 (Compensated Board Members)
Not more than one or 10% (whichever is greater) directly or indirectly compensated person(s) serving as voting member(s) of the board. Compensated members shall not serve as the board's chair or treasurer.

RFC does not meet this Standard because:

  • Two members out of the ten member board of directors (20%) are directly compensated as employees of the organization.

Religious Freedom Coalition meets the remaining 17 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Stated Purpose:
"to promote Christian ideals, foster religious freedom, aid persecuted Christians worldwide, and alert elected officials and the public to the plight of persecuted Christians."

Year, State Incorporated:
1982, DC

Also Known As:
Heart for the Persecuted Church

Religious Freedom Coalition (RFC) reports that it is a Christian organization which assists persecuted Christians in various areas and advocates for their religious freedom. The organization offers programs for displaced Christians in Iraq and Syria and Christian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan. RFC also provides diapers for infants, elderly, and special needs adults; distributes food packages and meals to Christian families in the Middle East and Nigeria; and supplies families with Christmas meals and spiritual educational books. In 2022, RFC built a new orphanage and school buildings in the City of Jos, Nigeria. Some ($255,161 or 18%) of RFC's program service activities are carried out in conjunction with informational materials that include fundraising appeals.

For the year ended December 31, 2022, Religious Freedom Coalition's program expenses were:

Program services $1,415,852
Total Program Expenses $1,415,852

Chief Executive
William J. Murray, President

Compensation*
$98,605

Chair of the Board
Peggy Nienaber

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Executive Director, Faith and Liberty

Board Size
10

Paid Staff Size
6

*2022 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Internet

RFC incurred joint costs of $332,929 for informational materials and activities that included fundraising materials. Of those costs $255,161 was allocated to program expenses, $73,910 was allocated to fundraising expenses, and $3,858 was allocated to administrative expenses.

Fundraising costs were 8% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $1,525,709, are donations received as a result of fundraising activities.)

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 Religious Freedom Coalition's audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Source of Funds
Investment income, net $-34,024
List rental income $1,718
Contributions $1,525,709
Total Income $1,493,403

Programs: 81% Fundraising: 7% Administrative: 12%

Total Income $1,493,403
Total expenses: $1,746,221
  Program expenses $1,415,852
  Fundraising expenses $126,151
  Administrative expenses $204,218
  Other expenses $0
Income in Excess of Expenses $-252,818
Beginning Net Assets $826,172
Other Changes In Net Assets $0
Ending Net Assets $573,354
Total Liabilities $58,608
Total Assets $631,962

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 Wise Giving Alliance