Financial Information

We cherish every dollar given to us and prayerfully use these gifts in a careful and prudent manner. As trusted stewards of these donations we make every effort to honor our donors and maintain impeccable integrity. Hands Together seeks always to temper our operational and financial management with simplicity and prudence. Our goal is not to "grow" in size, but to more effectively help the poor. We do not enlist the services of professional fund raising organizations. Mailings are limited to 1-2 per year and, when we can afford to, we send out an informational newsletter/flyer to keep people apprised of our work.

We follow a simple, general financial plan that contains the following guidelines:

  • All funds received are used for our organizational mission.
  • Whenever possible, the budgeted project expenditures for each fiscal year will include 80% of the net funds (after 6 mo's operating funds are set aside) collected in the previous twelve months.
  • 20% of the net funds (after 6 mo's current year operating funds are set aside) will then be deposited in a reserve funds account.
  • The target of this reserve fund is to eventually endow one full year's operating & maintenance expenses.
  • Notwithstanding the above statements, all funds belonging to Hands Together will be available for fulfilling our mission as needs arise or circumstances change.

Volunteer and In-kind Donations

We work hard to maximize the impact of every donation and every dollar raised by exercising prudence and minimizing our operating expenses through volunteer help and donated goods and services. Hands Together operates out of a two-room, donated office in the Sacred Heart Convent located in Springfield, MA., with a paid staff of only one full time executive director, one full-time assistant, and a part time office helper. Fr. Tom Hagan takes no salary for his full-time work and commitment to Hands Together. We enlist the help of many volunteers who help us run the organization on minimal operating costs. Much of our needed printing, office supplies and medicines are donated by corporations and individuals.

Donor Relations

We adhere to the following guidelines with respect to individuals, corporations and foundations who offer us their support:

Our Donors have certain rights.

  • The right to be aware of Hands Together's mission and purpose;
  • The right to know the identity of the Hands Together's officers and members of the Board of Directors and to expect that they each act with the greatest transparency, integrity and discernment in implementing the organization's mission and purpose for the best interests of the community;
  • The right of access to Hands Together's annual financial statements;
  • The right to know how donations, directly or indirectly contributed to the organization, are distributed, and to be assured that donated funds are used as intended by the donor and, if HT cannot honor a donor request, the donor will receive a clear explanation of the circumstances;
  • The right to confidentiality regarding personal information about donors and facts about their donations;
  • The right to expect that Hands Together will never share or sell a mailing list which includes the donor's name.
  • The right to ask questions of Hands Together and to expect prompt, truthful and complete answers in an easy to understand manner.

Charity Navigator 4 Star Rating - 2006 & 2007 & 2008

For the third consecutive year, Hands Together has received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's largest independent evaluator of charities. According to them:

"Only 16% of the charities we've rated have received at least two consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that Hands Together outperforms most charities in America in its efforts to operate in the most fiscally responsible way possible. This "exceptional" designation from Charity Navigator differentiates Hands Together from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust."

Audited Financial Statements