Financial Information

We cherish every dollar given to us and prayerfully use these gifts in prudent manner. As trusted stewards of these donations we strive to honor our donors and maintain impeccable integrity. Our goal is not to grow in size, but to most effectively help the poor. We do not enlist the services of professional fund-raising organizations and we limit mailings to 1-2 per year. When we can afford to, we send out an informational newsletter to update donors on our work.

Our financial plan contains the following guidelines:

  • All funds received are used for our organizational mission.
  • Whenever possible, the budgeted project expenditures for each fiscal year include 80% of the net funds (after 6 months operating funds are set aside) collected in the previous twelve months.
  • 20% of the net funds (after 6 months operating funds are set aside) are 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 are available for fulfilling our mission during emergencies or special circumstances.

Volunteer and In-kind Donations

We work hard to maximize the impact of all donations and funds and every dollar raised by minimizing our operating expenses through volunteer help and donated goods and services. Hands Together operates out of a two-room office donated by Sacred Heart Parish in Springfield, MA with a paid staff of one full-time executive director, one full-time assistant, and a part-time office assistant. 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 medicine 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 Hands Together's officers and members of the Board of Directors and expect each of them act with the greatest transparency, integrity and discernment when implementing the organization's mission and purpose for the best interests of the community
  • The right to access 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 -- If Hands Together cannot honor a donor request, the donor will receive a clear explanation as to why
  • The right to confidentiality regarding personal information and facts about 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 expect prompt, truthful and complete answers in an easily understandable way

Charity Navigator 4 Star Rating - 2006 & 2007 & 2008

Hands Together has received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's largest independent evaluator of charities, for three years in a row. 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