Houston Children's Charity
Meets Standards
Standards For Charity Accountability
Governance
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Board Oversight
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Board Size
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Board Meetings
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Board Compensation
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Conflict of Interest
Measuring Effectiveness
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Effectiveness Policy
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Effectiveness Report
Finances
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Program Expenses
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Fundraising Expenses
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Accumulating Funds
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Audit Report
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Detailed Expense Breakdown
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Accurate Expense Reporting
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Budget Plan
Fundraising & Info
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Truthful Materials
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Annual Report
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Website Disclosures
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Donor Privacy
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Cause Marketing Disclosures
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Complaints
Houston Children's Charity meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.
Stated Purpose:
Year, State Incorporated:
1996, TX
The Chariots for Children van program was founded in 1996 to distribute special-purpose vehicles to provide the freedom of mobility not otherwise available. This program is dedicated to providing custom, wheelchair-accessible vans to families as well as organizations with a similar mission. Since its inception, HCC has awarded 91 passenger vans, 93 wheelchair-accessible vehicles, 3 box trucks, 1 car, and 2 vehicle modifications to 94 agencies and 74 individual families at a total cost of over $3 million.
HCC believes an investment in students is an investment in our future. All children, regardless of their socio-economic status, should walk into school with a backpack and the basic supplies needed to succeed. Their Back2School program first began in 2005 with just one school district. Thanks to a partnership with The Rod Ryan Show over the past 8 years, they now reach more than 3,000 school-aged children annually across 5 counties and dozens of school districts in the Greater Houston Area.
The Houston Children’s Charity Family Emergency Fund at Texas Children’s Cancer Center was established in 2006 when HCC pledged a gift to Texas Children’s Hospital in the amount of $1,000,000 to be paid over ten years. This fund is used exclusively to provide financial relief in areas such as, rent, car payments, mortgage payments, and even groceries for the families of children undergoing cancer treatment. This commitment was renewed in 2016 to provide an additional $1,000,000 to the same fund.
Each night, more than 20,000 children in the Greater Houston area go to sleep without a bed. After several years of providing mattresses to families on a case-by-case basis, the A Better Night’s Sleep program was implemented in 2007 with the goal of ensuring every child has sweet dreams. The program provides a mattress set, bed frame, sheets, pillow and blanket to children in need on a monthly basis. To date, this program has provided over 11,000 children with beds of their very own.
Each year, during their Easter and Christmas Parties, Christmas Toy Distributions, and Adopt-A-Family programs, the Greater Houston area’s under-served children have the chance to experience some of the joys of life. Along with these events, additional Sport Outings and Cultural Events are planned throughout the year to provide disadvantaged children the chance to expand their horizons and create a positive outlook on their futures and the future of our community.
HCC benefits from a hands-on board of directors, who provide more than 40% of the total funding each year. Combining careful decision-making with rapid response, allows HCC to efficiently and effectively meet children’s needs.
For the year ended September 30, 2024, Houston Children's Charity's program expenses were:
| Chariots for Children | $2,859,904 |
| Christmas | $1,301,321 |
| Better Night's Sleep | $276,813 |
| Back to School | $163,627 |
| Total Program Expenses | $4,601,665 |
Chief Executive
Laura Ward, President/CEO
Chair of the Board
Mr. Tilman J. Fertitta, Chairman, CEO
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Fertitta Entertainment
Board Size
30
Paid Staff Size
5
Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Invitations to fund raising events, Print advertisements (newspapers, magazines, etc.), Grant proposals, Appeals via Social Media (Facebook, etc.)
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 Houston Children's Charity's audited financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2024.
Source of Funds
| Gala Income | $3,959,611 |
| In-Kind Contributions | $1,278,489 |
| Chariots for Children | $312,211 |
| Contributions | $139,194 |
| Back to School | $110,600 |
| Better Night's Sleep | $97,509 |
| Other Income | $47,810 |
| Christmas | $15,000 |
| Less: Direct Donor Benefit | $-330,766 |
| Total Income | $5,629,658 |
Programs: 90% Fundraising: 6% Administrative: 4%
| Total Income | $5,629,658 |
| Total expenses: | $5,108,301 |
| Program expenses | $4,601,665 |
| Fundraising expenses | $319,175 |
| Administrative expenses | $187,461 |
| Other expenses | $0 |
| Income in Excess of Expenses | $521,357 |
| Beginning Net Assets | $1,618,389 |
| Other Changes In Net Assets | $0 |
| Ending Net Assets | $2,139,746 |
| Total Liabilities | $170,412 |
| Total Assets | $2,310,158 |
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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Meets Standards
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Standards Not Met
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Did Not Disclose
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Review in Progress
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Unable to Verify
Report completed by:
BBB of Greater Houston and South Texas