Hilton Head charity named 'angel' on SC nonprofit list
South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond recently announced the 20th annual Scrooges and Angels list of 2015.
Ten angels, including local nonprofit Hilton Head Heroes, and one honorary angel were recognized at a news conference and honored with a reception in the Secretary of State's Office.
The angels honored represent organizations that exemplify charitable giving in South Carolina. The angels recognized, with the percentage of their expenditures that went toward their program services, are listed below. Those recognized are listed in alphabetical order, and are not ranked by the Secretary of State.
- Animal Allies Inc., Spartanburg (92 percent)
- Fostering Great Ideas, Greenville (84.8 percent)
- Hartsville Christmas in April Inc., Hartsville (98.3 percent)
- Honorary Angel - Harvest Hope Food Bank Inc., Columbia (98.1 percent)
- Hilton Head Heroes Inc., Hilton Head Island (84.3 percent)
- Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, Oceanside, Calif. (93.7 percent)
- National Arbor Day Foundation, Lincoln, Neb. (89.3 percent)
- Orangeburg/Calhoun Free Medical Clinic Inc., Orangeburg (91.6 percent)
- Pilgrims' Inn, Rock Hill (85.6 percent)
- Share Our Suzy, Columbia (83.3 percent)
- Toomey's Kids, Murrells Inlet (94.8 percent)
The angels were selected by review of financial reports submitted annually to the Secretary of State's office, as well as by nominations from the public. To be selected as an angel, the charity must have devoted 80 percent or more of its total expenditures to charitable programs; the charity must have been in existence for three or more years; the charity must make good use of volunteer services; the charity must receive minimal funding from grants; and the charity must be registered with the secretary of state to solicit funds in South Carolina. Each year, the Secretary of State's Office attempts to showcase angels with diverse missions, from across South Carolina and outside the state.
The designation of "scrooge" is based upon a charitable organization's failure to spend a high percentage of its total expenditures on charitable programs. The organizations designated as this year's scrooges are listed below, along with the percentage of expenditures used for program services. Those recognized are listed in alphabetical order, and are not ranked by the Secretary of State:
- Cars Helping Veterans, a.k.a. Others First Inc., Rochester Hills, Mich. (24.1 percent)
- Healing Heroes Network Inc., Palm Harbor, Fla. (24.7 percent)
- Kids Wish Network Inc., Holiday, Fla. (42 percent)
- The Premier Foundation, Easley (12.2 percent)
- Reserve Police Officers Association, Yonkers, N.Y. (7.7 percent)
- Rock Hill Rescue Squad, Rock Hill (6.4 percent)
- Survivors and Victims Empowered, Manheim, Pa. (30 percent)
- United Veterans Association Inc., Fairfield, Ala. (25.1 percent)
- Vietnow National Headquarters, Rockford, Ill. (7.3 percent)
- Wishing Well Foundation USA Inc., Metairie, La. (4.8 percent)
The following criteria were considered in selecting scrooges: the charity had devoted 45 percent or less of its total expenditures to charitable programs; the charity had spent a significant amount of revenue on fundraising expenses; and the charity had registered with the secretary of state to solicit funds in the state of South Carolina.
Charitable donors may research organizations registered in South Carolina by visiting www.sos.sc.gov. To review an organization, select the "Charity Search" button to learn a charity's total revenue, program expenses, total expenses, net assets and fundraiser costs. The website also calculates the percentage of total expenses that the charity has devoted to its program services.
Details: Division of Public Charities at 888-242-7484
This story was originally published November 23, 2015 at 9:38 AM with the headline "Hilton Head charity named 'angel' on SC nonprofit list."