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Farm Aid Proud of Its Record Supporting Family Farm Agriculture

Posted on: Saturday, 17 September 2005, 15:00 CDT

CHICAGO, Sept. 17 /U.S. Newswire/ -- "Since day one, Farm Aid's role has been to serve as the public defender of America's family farms. Willie Nelson, with colleagues Neil Young and John Mellencamp, founded Farm Aid to use their voices and the support of the American people to raise awareness and funds to strengthen family farm agriculture," stated Carolyn Mugar, Farm Aid Executive Director. "Farm Aid is proud to have utilized the support and generosity of so many to fulfill this mission for the past 20 years."

Responding to an inaccurate story in today's Chicago Tribune, Farm Aid detailed how it uses funds raised from its annual concert to build and strengthen family farm agriculture and promote markets for food from family farms.

"Eighty cents of every Farm Aid dollar goes to our programs supporting family farmers, including grants that help keep them on their land," said Farm Aid Executive Director Carolyn Mugar. "From our own farmer hotline to convening national gatherings of family farmers to conducting public awareness campaigns, Farm Aid is proud that we exceed the standards set by charity watchdog groups that monitor non-profit performance."

Mugar outlined examples of Farm Aid program initiatives it supports in addition to its direct grants to family farm organizations. Highlights include:

-- Since 1985, Farm Aid has maintained a national toll-free farmer hotline backed-up by a national grassroots network of farm advocates and counselors to work directly with farmers on credit, legal and financial matters

-- Creating awareness and demand for family farm identified food through national educational campaigns, and using its web to connect food buyers to local family farmers.

-- Strengthening new markets for farmers by organizing national conferences and trainings to devise positive strategies to strengthen local family farm agriculture.

-- Bringing together farmers and activists for state and regional meetings to address issues facing local farmers, including state and federal farm policies.

-- Responding to natural disasters and shipping emergency relief to affected farm families.

"These examples -- all of which cost money -- are some of the ways Farm Aid works throughout the year to promote food from family farms, address farmers' immediate needs, and build and strengthen the larger movement for family farm agriculture," stated Mugar.

Farm Aid Financial Facts

Farm Aid is 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization as defined by the IRS.

The IRS requires that the organization benefit the general public for the purpose for which it was established. Charity watchdogs have established standards to measure the efficiency of how non- profits perform.

The Better Business Bureau sets a standard of 65 percent for program expenditures as a percent of over all expenditures. Farm Aid's overall performance exceeds the standards set for program dollar expenditures.

Link to standards: http://www.give.org\standards\newcbbbstds.asp

Overall Farm Aid performance 1985 to 2004

Total expenditures $26,739,467

Program expenditures $21,510,477 -- or 80 percent of total expenditures

Farm Aid performance 2004

Total expenditures $1,189,754

Program expenditures $908,940 -- or 76 percent of total expenditures

Net assets:

Farm Aid maintains a surplus of both restricted and unrestricted assets.

In 2004, restricted assets consisted of $549,867, a trust for agriculture scholarships established by the Younkers Department store in 1985.

Farm Aid 2004 unrestricted assets $679,757.

Source: IRS form 990 and audited financial statements.

http://www.usnewswire.com

Source: U.S. Newswire

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