Expenditure - minimal costs
Currently, CRY USA employs no paid staff, and the majority of expenses have been paid by Board members themselves. This keeps our operating costs down to an absolute minimum and enables us to guarantee that at least 95% of all donations we receive will reach the programs directly. Since CRY USA was set up, we have initially concentrated on building up (at very nominal cost) the infrastructure of the organization, and setting up our administration facility in San Diego, California.

Form 990 Filing - not required under $25,000 income p/a
The IRS does not require tax-exempt organizations to file Form 990 or Form 990-EZ accounts if charity income does not exceed $25,000 USD annually. This has been the case with CRY USA to date (as at end 2009), but this is likely to change from Summer 2010 onwards as we roll out our awareness program, launch and promote this CRY USA website, introduce child and program sponsorship schemes, and engage with Christian churches. All this should result in increased income, therefore requiring us to file a Form 990 at end of the charity's financial year end 2010 which will provide full financial information.

UK 'Big Sister' Charity
Our big sister charity in the UK, Care and Relief for the Young (CRY), has been established as a UK registered charity since 1992 - and also runs 9 thrift stores on mainland UK and in Jersey - an offshore island near the coast of France under our CRY JERSEY charity which files its own accounts with the States of Jersey. Some of the charity's retail trading activity is also routed through CRY Trading Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary company of Care and Relief for the Young.

Financial information on Care and Relief for the Young (CRY UK) is available to the public through The Charity Commission and company information through Companies House. Gross income (including CRY Thrift Shops) in 2009 was £650,000 (just under $1 Million USD); of which CRY Jersey contributed over £63,000 (about $100,000 USD) from its trading profits.

Although legally independent from each other, both charities share the same CEO/President, David Farndale.

Program Fund Transfers
Because it costs money to transfer funds internationally, with often a fixed minimum charge, we usually transfer funds to a specific program when the amount has reached a level to make the transfer financially viable. This will vary depending on the support level for each program, but it is usually within a few months of a gift being made. We are in regular communication with our program partners, and keep them updated on what funds they are likely to receive and when, which helps them to plan ahead.

However, if one of our CRY USA or CRY UK Board members is travelling to that country on a program monitoring visit, then quite often the funds will be transferred in hard currency because this ensures that our partners receive the money with no losses in transfer fees. These funds are always properly accounted for, receipted with official stamp, and deposited in their own non-profit bank account locally.

CRY USA is about being Seriously Christian, Seriously Charitable... rescuing and restoring young lives broken by poverty, oppression, exclusion and abuse.

Your donations are completely safe with us, no 'fat-cats' getting paid high salaries here (or any salaries for that matter) - the funds go where you want them to go!

Entrust us with your donations...you will be pleased you did!