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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: December 2023 Expires: December 2025

Answer The Call - New York Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund

Standards Not Met
Standards Not Met
10
(212) 735-4505
156 W 56th St Ste 901
New York, NY, 10019-3926
https://www.answerthecall.org
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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

Answer The Call - New York Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund does not meet the following 1 Standards for Charity Accountability:

Standard 10 (Ending Net Assets)
Avoid accumulating funds that could be used for current program activities. To meet this standard, the charity's unrestricted net assets available for use should not be more than three times the size of the past year's expenses or three times the size of the current year's budget, whichever is higher.

Answer The Call - New York Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund does not meet this standard because:

According to the charity's Audited Financial Statements for the year-ended 12/31/2021, its total unrestricted net assets available for use were $60,388,556.00 or 7.84 times its past year's expenses of $7,701,710.00.

Answer The Call - New York Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund meets the remaining 19 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Statement by Charity: The N.Y. Police and Fire Widow’s & Children’s Benefit Fund’s goal is to provide annual support to the widows and widowers of NYPD, FDNY, and PAPD heroes killed in the line of duty for the rest of their lives. To enable the organization to achieve this goal of long-term support, it decides to save and invest a portion of its funds for the benefit of the families it serves. These funds are set aside to enable it to provide long-term support to its current families, as well as support to families who may lose a loved one in the line of duty in the future. Answer The Call has its financial information available on its website.

Stated Purpose:
The mission of the N.Y. Police and Fire Widows’ & Children’s Benefit Fund, Inc. is to provide financial assistance and a network of support to the families of New York City Police Officers (NYPD), Firefighters (FDNY), Port Authority Police (PAPD), and EMTs (FDNY) who have been killed in the line of duty. Our goal is to raise enough funds to assist these families for the rest of their lives. 

Year, State Incorporated:
1986, NY

Our organization provides financial assistance, as well as a network of support, to the families of our fallen first responders. Immediately, when there is a line of duty death, we provide the family with $50,000 to help alleviate some of the financial uncertainty that such a tragedy can bring. Then every year for the rest of the widow, widower, or legal domestic partner's life, we provide them with an annual stipend. Currently, the annual stipend is $9,000.  If there is no widow, widower, or domestic partner, we will pay the stipend to minor children up until they turn 21 years old. In addition, we host events for our families to provide them with an opportunity to come together to cope and connect. In 2022, these events included our Annual Game & Family Day, Mentorship Program, Take Our Kids to Work Day, as well as invitations to attend our Gala and Red & Blue Soiree as our guests. 

For the year ended December 31, 2021, Answer The Call - New York Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund's program expenses were:

Program service - benefit payments $6,202,500
Total Program Expenses $6,202,500

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Not disclosed

Board Size
27

Paid Staff Size
4

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Door-to-door solicitation, Internet, Radio, Print advertisements

% of Related Contributions on Fundraising: 7.34%

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 Answer The Call - New York Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund's audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Source of Funds
Unrealized loss on investments $-4,856,160
Contributions - in-kind $638,247
Contributions - general $1,308,788
Interest and dividend income $1,917,048
Annual fundraising events revenue, net of direct costs of $517,693 $4,162,332
Realized gain on investments $9,118,075
Total Income $12,288,330

Programs: 81% Fundraising: 5% Administrative: 14%

Total Income $12,288,330
Total expenses: $7,701,710
  Program expenses $6,202,500
  Fundraising expenses $401,402
  Administrative expenses $1,097,808
  Other expenses $0
Income in Excess of Expenses $4,586,620
Beginning Net Assets $57,772,990
Other Changes In Net Assets $0
Ending Net Assets $62,359,610
Total Liabilities $154,792
Total Assets $62,514,402

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 Foundation of Metropolitan New York