South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond announces Scrooges and Angels for 2015
South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond announced Nov. 18 the 20th annual Scrooges and Angels list of 2015. Ten Angels as well as one Honorary Angel were recognized at a press conference and honored with a reception in the Secretary of State’s Office following the announcement.
The Angels honored represent organizations that exemplify charitable giving in South Carolina. Representatives from all organizations were in attendance to receive a plaque and recognition from Secretary Hammond. 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, SC 92.0%
• Fostering Great Ideas, Greenville, SC 84.8%
• Hartsville Christmas in April, Inc., Hartsville, SC 98.3%
• Honorary Angel – Harvest Hope Food Bank, Inc., Columbia, SC 98.1%
• Hilton Head Heroes, Inc., Hilton Head Island, SC 84.3%
• Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, Oceanside, CA 93.7%
• National Arbor Day Foundation, Lincoln, NE 89.3%
• Orangeburg/Calhoun Free Medical Clinic, Inc., Orangeburg, SC 91.6%
• Pilgrims’ Inn, Rock Hill, SC 85.6%
• Share Our Suzy (SOS), Columbia, SC 83.3%
• Toomey’s Kids, Murrells Inlet, SC 94.8%
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 the state of 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.
Traditionally, charities have been eligible to be named as an Angel by the Secretary of State only once in order to recognize as many deserving organizations as possible. This year, however, Secretary Hammond revised this tradition to recognize Harvest Hope Food Bank of Columbia, SC, as an Honorary Angel. Harvest Hope was previously recognized as an Angel in 2000, but has continued to devote a high percentage of its expenditures to its charitable mission. Furthermore, Harvest Hope has stood out in providing care and assistance to thousands of South Carolinians during and after the historic, devastating floods that ravaged much of 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, MI 24.1%
• Healing Heroes Network, Inc., Palm Harbor, FL 24.7%
• Kids Wish Network, Inc., Holiday, FL 42.0%
• The Premier Foundation, Easley, SC 12.2%
• Reserve Police Officers Association, Yonkers, NY 7.7%
• Rock Hill Rescue Squad, Rock Hill, SC 6.4%
• Survivors and Victims Empowered, Manheim, PA 30.0%
• United Veterans Association, Inc., Fairfield, AL 25.1%
• Vietnow National Headquarters, Rockford, IL 7.3%
• Wishing Well Foundation USA, Inc., Metairie, LA 4.8%
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 the Secretary of State’s website at 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 even calculates the percentage of total expenses that the charity has devoted to its program services. You can also call our Division of Public Charities at 1-888-CHARITI (242-7484) for more information.
