As the cover of this special edition implies, Queens is filled with charity – from those seeking contributions to those looking to make them. The questions we hope to answer here involve bringing a need and a desire to help together. For those looking to lend a hand (or a buck or two), we give plenty of choices. For those seeking some help, we offer advice on how to get it.
Though this guide is nowhere near comprehensive, inside its pages you will find several hundred Queens not-for-profit groups. They don’t all fit under the umbrella of what most people think of as a charity – after all, charities are not just about taking care of sick children and raising funds for disaster relief.
Readers will find a wide range of organizations that we selected from Guidestar.org, an internet-based clearinghouse of information on not-for-profit groups. In searching we limited our selection to groups that, according to Guidestar.org, have filed a 990 form with the IRS within the last two years, have spent money on programs, and were not religious institutions (there are 2,547 of them in Queens – far too many to print).
Using Guidestar.org’s data, taken directly from IRS forms, we were able to calculate for each group the percentage of that filing year’s income that went toward administrative costs and fund-raising efforts. We recognize that income can shift wildly from year-to-year based on numerous factors while administrative costs may be fixed, so please reserve judgment on an organization whose numbers you question.
Also, be aware that total assets as reported are different from income; a group could take in less money than it spends on programs, or spend every penny on programs, and have a total asset value of $0. That is not a measure of the group’s success, just a statement of it value.
Browse, learn and decide to make a difference, and lend a helping hand to one or more of these caring groups.
