We’ve all heard pleas to give more to support our communities in hard times. Snohomish County-based charities in 2009 directed more than $300 million to causes, here and abroad. How people chose to give illuminates our priorities. Where are donations going and what percentage directly supports chari
table programs?
Charities in Washington must register with the Office of the Secretary of State and report their finances. Certain organizations are exempt, including churches and volunteer-run groups raising less than $25,000 a year.
This table breaks down charity revenue by type of work, based on their respective missions. It only incorporates registered Snohomish County charities for 2009 — the most-recent year with complete financial information.
| Organizational focus | Number of charities | 2009 revenue | Expenses | Program spending | Percent to program | Ending assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health | 20 | $115,870,795 | $115,131,297 | $97,560,538 | 85% | $104,422,227 |
| Foundation/ service group | 20 | $62,516,580 | $59,743,859 | $50,337,026 | 84% | $93,181,759 |
| Disability | 14 | $17,158,146 | $17,685,580 | $15,074,309 | 85% | $12,146,761 |
| Senior citizens | 5 | $15,364,264 | $15,579,237 | $13,164,034 | 84% | $10,160,244 |
| Education | 22 | $13,874,977 | $15,408,182 | $10,727,416 | 70% | $34,604,819 |
| Youth services | 9 | $13,339,598 | $12,726,129 | $10,452,305 | 82% | $20,814,434 |
| Low-income assistance | 14 | $11,431,246 | $10,893,051 | $8,742,396 | 80% | $8,500,678 |
| Animals | 18 | $12,845,218 | $10,462,563 | $7,903,703 | 76% | $26,421,001 |
| Faith-based | 34 | $8,674,162 | $8,610,904 | $5,879,161 | 68% | $3,430,470 |
| Housing | 4 | $5,412,162 | $6,342,824 | $5,404,191 | 85% | $19,959,033 |
| Addiction | 3 | $6,146,722 | $6,111,379 | $5,545,598 | 91% | $2,521,335 |
| Art/music | 19 | $5,828,706 | $4,702,714 | $3,343,808 | 71% | $11,250,859 |
| PTA and school groups | 83 | $4,301,738 | $4,273,000 | $2,080,405 | 49% | $2,003,742 |
| History/ museum | 6 | $3,990,501 | $2,874,800 | $2,278,525 | 79% | $27,735,585 |
| Sport clubs and boosters | 16 | $2,720,292 | $2,664,923 | $2,243,222 | 84% | $955,426 |
| Other | 16 | $2,638,808 | $2,612,455 | $1,029,332 | 39% | $1,293,375 |
| Crime victims | 3 | $2,486,803 | $2,377,064 | $1,936,853 | 81% | $634,969 |
| Environment | 11 | $2,284,786 | $2,092,107 | $1,917,701 | 92% | $2,541,659 |
| International | 20 | $1,950,808 | $1,763,170 | $1,596,015 | 91% | $6,110,237 |
| Veterans | 2 | $475,704 | $496,023 | $462,951 | 93% | $55,270 |
| Public safety | 8 | $392,872 | $392,315 | $326,977 | 83% | $1,289,847 |
| Library | 3 | $228,005 | $236,210 | $192,984 | 82% | $723,162 |
| Total | 350 | $309,932,893 | $303,179,786 | $248,199,450 | 82% | $390,756,892 |
Churches and other exempt organizations aren’t included. Data listed here provide only a snapshot.
The state monitors how much of a charity’s expenses go toward programs.
“It’s not a perfect science,” said Rebecca Sherrell, manager of the Charities Program for the secretary of state. The percentage gives an idea how organizations spend donor dollars.
Salaries, rent and supplies might not count toward program expenses. Commercial fundraisers often siphon away money.
Top 30 Snohomish County charities
| Organization | City | 2009 revenue | Expenses | Program spending | Percent to program | Ending assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compass Health | Everett | $38,007,790 | $39,276,886 | $33,128,109 | 85 | $23,968,438 |
| Providence Hospice and Home Care of Snohomish County | Everett | $22,738,966 | $24,144,745 | $20,797,475 | 86 | $0 |
| Volunteers of America of Western Washington | Everett | $22,813,199 | $22,723,126 | $19,992,750 | 88 | $15,280,157 |
| Community Health Center of Snohomish County | Everett | $23,768,362 | $22,184,990 | $17,507,123 | 79 | $46,973,685 |
| Young Men’s Christian Association of Snohomish County (YMCA) | Everett | $22,277,496 | $19,855,176 | $17,678,968 | 89 | $43,944,730 |
| Josephine Sunset Home | Stanwood | $15,313,716 | $14,283,912 | $12,864,271 | 90 | $13,936,513 |
| Senior Services of Snohomish County | Mukilteo | $13,626,291 | $13,995,928 | $12,107,486 | 87 | $6,917,261 |
| United Way of Snohomish County | Everett | $9,929,200 | $9,536,264 | $7,726,693 | 82 | $12,582,008 |
| Northsound Association for Catholic Education | Everett | $6,837,361 | $7,024,244 | $4,300,743 | 61 | $17,054,694 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County | Everett | $6,737,276 | $6,784,195 | $5,656,460 | 83 | $7,536,089 |
| Evergreen Manor | Everett | $5,284,391 | $5,261,041 | $4,728,093 | 90 | $2,289,934 |
| Housing Hope | Everett | $4,220,210 | $5,048,729 | $4,333,271 | 86 | $18,205,796 |
| Smithwright Services | Lynnwood | $3,994,701 | $4,017,965 | $3,644,350 | 91 | $1,166,526 |
| Bridgeways | Everett | $3,873,116 | $3,913,735 | $3,539,852 | 90 | $1,710,396 |
| Breast Cancer Prevention Fund | Everett | $3,327,081 | $3,576,916 | $3,219,250 | 90 | $640,639 |
| Everett Gospel Mission | Everett | $3,846,701 | $3,557,101 | $2,812,405 | 80 | $340,790 |
| Aglow International | Edmonds | $3,265,267 | $3,373,645 | $2,220,873 | 66 | $177,400 |
| Progressive Animal Welfare Society | Lynnwood | $4,300,893 | $3,152,349 | $2,363,916 | 75 | $7,211,359 |
| Providence General Foundation | Everett | $3,825,399 | $2,949,731 | $2,480,931 | 84 | $13,820,318 |
| Work Opportunities | Lynnwood | $2,540,570 | $2,937,246 | $2,631,924 | 90 | $3,100,364 |
| Village Community Services | Arlington | $2,681,437 | $2,714,209 | $2,252,927 | 83 | $2,733,992 |
| EdLab Group Foundation | Lynnwood | $2,110,918 | $2,674,385 | $1,937,382 | 72 | $891,138 |
| Washington Vocational Services | Mountlake Terrace | $2,610,525 | $2,587,976 | $2,243,120 | 87 | $1,542,145 |
| Cocoon House | Everett | $2,627,497 | $2,583,772 | $2,068,701 | 81 | $5,116,209 |
| Snohomish County Council of the Society of St. Vincent DePaul | Everett | $2,948,530 | $2,517,365 | $2,486,243 | 99 | $3,440,134 |
| Little Red School House | Everett | $2,136,547 | $2,347,581 | $1,962,579 | 84 | $4,015,863 |
| Work Force Development Center | Mukilteo | $2,033,049 | $2,171,182 | $1,895,105 | 87 | $2,917,085 |
| Pasado’s Safe Haven | Monroe | $2,307,550 | $2,012,510 | $1,569,465 | 78 | $6,803,874 |
| Mount Baker Council, Boy Scouts of America | Everett | $2,669,208 | $1,962,942 | $1,608,170 | 82 | $4,775,689 |
| Sherwood Community Services | Lake Stevens | $1,642,365 | $1,783,853 | $1,345,350 | 75 | $1,365,570 |
Charities of note
| Organization | City | 2009 revenue | Expenses | Program services | Percent to program | Ending assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas House of Everett | Snohomish | $269,751 | $199,814 | $198,822 | 100% | $237,684 |
| YMCA of Snohomish County (YMCA) | Everett | $22,277,496 | $19,855,176 | $17,678,968 | 89% | $43,944,730 |
| Northwest Organization for Animal Help (NOAH) | Stanwood | $2,256,129 | $1,631,450 | $1,353,924 | 83% | $6,635,258 |
| Marysville PTA Council 7.4 | Marysville | $20,740 | $22,990 | $12,466 | 55% | $7,093 |
| Operation Lookout National Center for Missing Youth | Everett | $1,409,711 | $1,362,473 | $163,019 | 12% | $18,580 |
| Quilters Anonymous | Edmonds | $94,630 | $88,178 | $51,775 | 59% | $62,413 |
Christmas House of Everett: Provides holiday gifts to children of low-income families. In 2009, almost 100 percent of $199,814 in expenses went to the mission.
Northwest Organization for Animal Help: A Stanwood nonprofit dedicated to preventing the euthanasia of healthy dogs and cats through adoptions and other services. It raised $2,256,129 in 2009 and 83 percent of expenses were for programs.
Marysville PTA Council 7.4 Of 2009 expenses of $22,990, 55 percent went to programs.
Operation Lookout National Center for Missing Youth: Based in Everett, a mere 12 percent of $1,362,473 of 2009 expenses went to programs to alert the public about missing young people and provide help for families.
Quilters Anonymous: This Edmonds-based charity raised $94,630 in 2009, with 59 percent going to programs.
For more information about specific Washington charities, go to the Secretary of State’s website.
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