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Top Rated

Gary Sinise Foundation

CharityWatch report issued
December 2021

Top-Rated Charity
A
CharityWatch Grade
Our independent grade based
on a number of factors.
 
87%
Program Percentage
Amount spent on programs
relative to overhead.
 
$4
Cost to Raise $100
Amount spent to raise
$100 of contributions.

Contact Information

Gary Sinise Foundation
PO Box 40726
Nashville, TN 37204

Other Names

None

Tax Status

501(c)3

Stated Mission

To honor the nation's defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, & those in need; creates & supports unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen & build communities.

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Data based on Fiscal Year Ended 12/31/2020

Program Percentage: 87%

The percentage of Gary Sinise Foundation's cash budget it spends on programs relative to overhead (fundraising, management, and general expenses).

$37,000,000

Calculated Total Expenses

(rounded)

 

Cost to Raise $100: $4

How many dollars Gary Sinise Foundation spends on fundraising to raise each $100 of contributions.

$46,000,000

Calculated Total Contributions

(rounded)

Government Funding

0% to 24%

Percentage of cash revenue
coming from government sources

 

Financial Documents

Entity Document Type Tax ID
Gary Sinise Foundation IRS Form 990 80-0587086
Gary Sinise Foundation Audited Consolidated Financial Statements 80-0587086
Entity: Gary Sinise Foundation
Document Type: IRS Form 990
Tax ID: 80-0587086
Entity: Gary Sinise Foundation
Document Type: Audited Consolidated Financial Statements
Tax ID: 80-0587086

Governance & Transparency

CharityWatch evaluates certain criteria related to a charity's Governance and Transparency. Donors may want to consider a charity's willingness to be open and transparent with CharityWatch to be a good litmus test for determining its commitment to public accountability.
This charity is Top-Rated
What does it mean to be Top-Rated?
 
Gary Sinise Foundation
meets governance benchmarks.
 
Gary Sinise Foundation
meets transparency benchmarks.
Transparency
Provides Financial Information
Audit Accessibility
Governance: Policies
Reports regularly & consistently monitoring & enforcing compliance with a written Conflict of Interest Policy
Reports required, annual disclosure by officers, directors, and key staff of interests that could give rise to conflicts
Reports having a written Whistleblower Policy
Reports having a written Document Retention and Destruction Policy
Governance: Financials
Reports providing copy of tax form to all board members prior to filing it with IRS
Reports that financial statements were audited by an independent accountant
Governance: Board of Directors
Reports at least 5 voting board members
51% or more of voting board members reported as independent
Reports documenting minutes of board and board committee meetings
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy No Sharing  

  Name Title Compensation
1 Robin Rand CEO $289,522
2 Elizabeth Fields COO $258,334
3 James Ravella VP of Programs $177,396
1
Name: Robin Rand
Title: CEO
Compensation: $289,522
2
Name: Elizabeth Fields
Title: COO
Compensation: $258,334
3
Name: James Ravella
Title: VP of Programs
Compensation: $177,396

CharityWatch Analysts perform an in-depth analysis of charities' audited financial statements and IRS tax filings, and often review other documents such as state filings, annual reports, and fundraising contracts during their evaluations. Below are select notes that CharityWatch believes may be of interest to donors.

According to the Gary Sinise Foundation consolidated audit of December 31, 2020 (Note 2 re: In-kind donations), the Foundation received in-kind donations in 2020 on which it placed a total value of $3,163,340. Of this amount, $1,882,218 consisted of donated "Construction – materials and supplies," and $635,840 consisted of donated "Construction costs – labor."

[Note: CharityWatch generally excludes the value of in-kind (non-cash) donations of goods and services from its calculations of Program % and Cost to Raise $100. More information on how grades are calculated and the treatment of in-kind donations can be found on the Our Process page.]

According to the Gary Sinise Foundation consolidated audit of December 31, 2020 (Note 5, Commitments and Contingencies, Smart Home Construction):

"Through its R.I.S.E. program, the Organization is committed to building 31 Smart Homes. The total budgeted cost of those Smart Homes total $28,192,832. As of December 31, 2020, the Organization had expended $26,528,844 on those homes, resulting in a remaining net commitment of $1,663,988."

According to the Gary Sinise Foundation 2020 tax filing, Gary Sinise and his wife, Moira Sinise, are two of the Foundation's eight board members (IRS Form 990, Part VII, Section A & Schedule O). Gary Sinise is also reported as board chair and president (IRS Form 990, Part VII, Section A).

According to the Gary Sinise Foundation consolidated audit of December 31, 2020 (Note 12, Risks and Uncertainties):

"On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic and recommended containment and mitigation measures worldwide. The COVID-19 outbreak in the United States has caused business disruption through mandated and voluntary closings of businesses and shelter-in-place orders.

"While the business disruption is currently expected to be temporary, there is considerable uncertainty around the duration of the closings and shelter-in-place orders. It is at least reasonably possible that this matter will negatively impact the Organization. However, the financial impact and duration cannot be reasonably estimated at this time."

According to the Gary Sinise Foundation consolidated audit of December 31, 2020 (Note 13, Subsequent Event):

"In March 2021, the Foundation discovered that it had been the victim of wire fraud. Following an extensive review, it was determined that the data breach occurred in late December 2020 but the outlay of cash, totaling $1,150,000, was criminally seized in the first quarter of 2021. As of the date of these [audited] consolidated financial statements [November 12, 2021], the Foundation has recovered approximately $355,000 and is currently working with the financial institution and insurance carriers in an attempt to recover more. At this time, there are no assurances that the Foundation will receive additional funds based upon these efforts.

"Subsequent to the discovery, the Foundation has implemented additional internal control measures to prevent any future data breach attempts, moved funds to a more secure financial institution and onboarded a new IT company and a new accounting service provider. In addition, in June 2021, upon the then CEO's retirement, the Foundation appointed a new CEO. Several other changes in management, including the departure of the COO and the appointment of a CFO, have also occurred subsequent to the December 31, 2020 year end."


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