2 people found this review helpful
Review from CharityNavigator Samaritans Purse
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November 13, 2012
2 people found this review helpful
I've been a regular donor to SP for a few years, but Franklin Graham's recent political commentary has me greatly concerned, especially where it pertains to same-sex marriage. I didn't realize that SP's mission includes promoting their political agenda, and I refuse to have my contributions used to support bigotry. As a result, I've become disillusioned with SP and have not donated since May. I'm still prayerfully considering whether I should resume, but at this point I have no confidence that my contributions will not be supporting such un-Christ-like behavior.
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Was your donation impactful?
Likely
How likely is it that you would recommend that a friend donate to this group?
Unsure
How likely are you to donate to this group again?
Unsure
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
November 11, 2012
2 people found this review helpful
This is the second year we have put together christmas packages for children (3 - one from each of my children). It is a nice experience for them. I am very saddened to see a CEO of a non-profit making $400,000 plus. It is pure greed. I think with conscience NO CEO's of non profits should take more then $200,000 for their work. Shame on Mr. Graham and the board for allowing this.
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Was your donation impactful?
Likely
How likely is it that you would recommend that a friend donate to this group?
Likely
How likely are you to donate to this group again?
Likely
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
3 people found this review helpful
November 8, 2012
3 people found this review helpful
I was wounded by an IED in Afghanistan in 2010. Afterwards there are many obstacles, both physically and mentally that must be overcome in order to return to life before the injury. My wife and I were selected to participate in Operation Heal Our Patriots (A project of Samaritans Purse), where we could focus on reconnecting as a couple. This was the first time in the two years following the incident that we were able to focus on us, without the kids. What else can i say except, "WOW...WORLD CLASS!" It was a truly amazing once in a lifetime opportunity and we are a stronger unit now than ever. Every contributing member we met during the event touched our lives and we look forward to reuniting with them in the spring of 2013. This is a top-tier Non-profit and I encourage anyone who can to get involved and support there efforts. Thank You Samaritans Lodge Staff!!!
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How would you describe the help you got from this organization?
Life-changing
How likely are you to recommend this organization to a friend?
Definitely
How do you feel you were treated by this organization?
Very Well
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
November 7, 2012
This organization and its volunteers are exemplary! They fulfill every professional, personal and spiritual standard above the level anyone can measure! Their level of work, kindness, integrity, help, time, efforts, resolutions and follow-up surpass most other groups and organizations in their genre which is public service. There are perhaps four others that equal them in our country, the USA. That's a great rating! I have excellent, rigorous professional standards for an organization to meet a qualified standard in its practice and levels of care and operation. This one, Samaritan's Purse, exceeds every one! I am deeply grateful professionally and personally for their existence and everything they do in the USA and Internationally. Yes, the BBB has unfortunately not corrected their evaluative information which is indeed unfortunately inaccurate and misleading.
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How does this organization compare with others in the same sector?
Very Well
How much of an impact do you think this organization has?
Life-changing
Will you recommend this organization to others?
Definitely
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
1 person found this review helpful
November 4, 2012
1 person found this review helpful
BBB is a joke! They falsely claim to be lacking information that is clearly spelled out in Samaritan Purse's Annual Financial Disclosure. After posting an erroneous review on Samaritan's Purse, BBB asked me for money.
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Was your donation impactful?
Definitely
How likely is it that you would recommend that a friend donate to this group?
Definitely
How likely are you to donate to this group again?
Definitely
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
October 31, 2012
The BBB rates them as "Standards not met" and cites some clear and cogent reasons for doing so: http://www.bbb.org/charity-reviews/national/religious/samaritans-purse-in-boone-nc-281 Why would a NGO of this size not state their fundraising costs in their annual report? Power corrupts.
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Will you volunteer or donate to this organization?
No
How much of an impact do you think this organization has?
Some
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
1 person found this review helpful
October 25, 2012
1 person found this review helpful
Valuable, fun experience to understand your cash donation or christmas shoebox is benefiting a child and their holiday. Equipping them with gifts at Christams and making it a memorable experience.
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Would you volunteer for this group again?
Likely
For the time you spent, how much of an impact did you feel your work or activity had?
A little
Did the organization use your time wisely?
Okay
Would you recommend this group to a friend?
Unsure
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
October 22, 2012
There is no greater pleasure than seeing the smile of the kids opening their shoe boxes and knowing that what you are giving really goes to what it was destinated.
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Would you volunteer for this group again?
Definitely
For the time you spent, how much of an impact did you feel your work or activity had?
Life-changing
Did the organization use your time wisely?
Very Well
Would you recommend this group to a friend?
Definitely
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
October 3, 2012
I feel like everyone is looking at this from the wrong perspective. 1st) The approach to CEO pay for a large non-profit CANNOT be approached much differently from CEO pay for a large corporation. Why? While there are surely a multitude of positions within a charitable organization that can pay based on the size of an employee's heart to a greater extent than for the size of an employee's skill, the CEO is not one of them. There are two basic reasons. Firstly, an organization of Samaritan Purse's magnitude and undoubted organizational complexity (non-profit, NGO, corporation, or otherwise) MUST attract an individual who is an excellent steward of the organization's assets. This means finding someone with a ton of a talent, decades of experience, and a rare skill set that involves managing - in this case - millions and millions of dollars in revenue and assets. That doesn't come cheap. In order to compete with high-paying firms that need great CEOs to do the exact same thing, non-profits have no choice but to compete on pay. Additionally, after some of the issues with big non-profits like Goodwill, it is imperative that a CEO be incentivized to uphold the core values of the organization and to, again, be an excellent steward of its assets. Because stock options are not an "option," in the case of a non-profit, salary is the only option. 2nd) What we should really be asking is why a non-profit is retaining 10% of revenue (primarily from donations) instead of spending it on programs; that's over $37 million in this case, folks. That's $37 million that's just sitting around not helping people who could use it. There are a few reasons (beyond idiotic management) that could explain this, but maybe it would better to look into something meaningful like that, instead of worrying about a CEO who is paid at a considerably lower % of expenses that a whole host of CEOs at other non-profits. For example, is this excess the result of forward planning in lieu of the potential Euro-zone meltdown, or the general volatility of the market over the last couple of years (which could ultimately result in a steep decline in donation funds in the matter of, say, only a few months... if that)? Maybe, within the regions in which Samaritan's Purse operates, it has simply exhausted its volunteer base, and has no ability to increase its operations to a point of alignment with the company's current donation potential. If the latter is the case, then they definitely don't need that extra 10% every year, and you might consider being cautious when making the decision to give. 3rd) There was an individual who gave the organization a 5 out of 5, apparently based solely on having participated in downstream, donation-acquisition activities. I would caution that it is the organization's macro financing and ultimately a thorough appraisal of its efforts abroad and/or in the inner cities (depending on the organization) that have a considerably more valuable bearing on its success in terms of making a difference for those who need the assistance.
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Will you volunteer or donate to this organization?
Unlikely
How much of an impact do you think this organization has?
A lot
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
June 23, 2012
I tried to add some comments under other reviews, but got an error message, so I will add them here. These comments have to do with the discussion about Franklin Graham's compensation. I have donated to Samaritan's Purse in the past and haven't come to a personal opinion about the CEO salary question, but I wanted to share a couple of thoughts.
In one of the reviews it is said that Franklin Graham probably puts a lot of his own money into Samaritan's Purse. My observation is that if he is putting a lot of his salary back into Samaritan's Purse, that is tax inefficient. He would pay various taxes on his salary - and at a salary over $470K he would not be eligible for many deductions. It would make more sense for him to take a lower salary and leave the money in the charity, so an additional cut doesn't have to go to the government.
For that reason, my guess is that Franklin Graham isn't putting a significant percentage of his salary into Samaritan's Purse; of course, he may be tithing to his church and doing other charitable things with the money.
Another review mentioned that the total compensation number probably includes travel and other business expenses. It would be non-standard accounting if expenses such as travel were included in the CEO's compensation. As a general principal, you want things to be accounted for in the right "bucket" and travel expense should go in the travel expense bucket and salary should go in the salary bucket.
Of course there are cases where teachers buy supplies for their classes because the school district won't, or managers buy lunch for their team and don't submit it for reimbursement because company policy won't allow it (I've done that). Franklin Graham may be doing some similar things, but as CEO he is likely setting the appropriate reimbursement policies and following them. That means unreimbursed expenses are likely a small percentage of his total compensation. To do otherwise would be tax inefficient (for both him and Samaritan's Purse) and I assume Franklin Graham is too smart for that.
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Was your donation impactful?
Unsure
How likely is it that you would recommend that a friend donate to this group?
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How likely are you to donate to this group again?
Unsure
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2011
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