Annual ReportBETTER BUSINESS BUREAU® SERVING CHICAGO AND NORTHERN ILLINOIS

2014

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Years ending August 31

Cash + InvestmentsTotal Assets

Total LiabilitiesNet Assets

Total Operating RevenuesTotal Operating Expenses

Net Operating Income

2013

STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES

3,531,2764,819,3012,879,4331,939,868

5,746,2105,547,417

198,793

TOTAL OPERATING REVENUEAccreditation Revenues & Fees

Marketing & Sponsorship RevenuesSpecial Event Revenues, Net of Direct Costs

In-kind Contributions & Donated ServicesOther Income

Total Revenues

EXPENSES - PERSONNELSalaries, Wages and Bonuses

Commissions Payroll Taxes

Group Insurance and Other BenefitsTotal Personnel Expenses

OPERATING EXPENSESAdvertising, Marketing & Promotions, including in-kind contributions

Printing and PublicationsOutside Computer Service Fees

Other Technology and Phone CostsOccupancy Costs

Professional Services, including in-kind servicesBBB Council Dues

Sales and Membership CostsOffice & Other Administrative Costs

Total Operating Expenses

OTHER INCOMEInterest & Dividends

Net Realized & Unrealized Gains on Investments

INCREASE IN NET ASSETS

2013

4,356,251552,465347,186423,00967,299

5,746,210

2,049,334887,441217,121339,377

3,493,273

683,286198,492152,759133,323239,748259,94197,97550,294

238,3265,547,417

67,730(42,325)

224,198

2014

4,805,052532,617254,890538,49064,564

6,195,613

2,336,047905,673244,605312,456

3,798,781

669,957181,724164,681179,774247,288308,973123,28869,973

263,3626,007,801

74,049189,551

451,412

2014

3,941,3655,418,2733,026,9932,391,280

6,195,6136,007,801

187,812

Vision:

Mission:

An ethical marketplace where buyers and sellers can trust each other.

To be the leader in advancing marketplace trust.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Years ending August 31

STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES

Better Business Bureau® Serving Chicago and Northern Illinois

LOCAL IMPACT

Better Business Bureau®

NATIONAL IMPACT

77 out of 100 Consumers are familiar with the BBB

84 out of 100 Consumers likely to consult BBB would consult it for contractor purchases

71 out of 100 Consumers likely to consult BBB would consult for in-person purchases in a business or store

47,621Complaints Closed

Top Industries by Complaints 1. Department Stores

4,924 Complaints

2. Cell Phone Services/Supplies

1,370 Complaints

3. Airlines

1,198 Complaints

78.9% of complaints were resolved.

4,068Social Media Followers

6,181,173Inquiries received in 2014

Top Industries by Inquiries 1. Roofing Contractors

208,122 Inquiries

2. Contractors - General

186,421 Inquiries

3. Construction & Remodeling

131,690 Inquiries

2,569Customer Reviews**Customer reviews were

launched August 12, 2014

BBB leads as the preferred resource of choice for hiring a contractor and online shopping

BBB.org is one of the TOP 500most visited websites in the USper Alexa

8,571Accredited Businesses

Accredited Businesses & The Board of DirectorsTO OUR ACCREDITED BUSINESSES

BOARD OF DIRECTORSCHAIRMAN:Carl G. JacobsonLifecare Innovations

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR:Roy SpencerPerma-Seal Basement Systems

PRESIDENT & CEO:Steve J. BernasBetter Business Bureau/Chicago

VICE CHAIR:Gerald M. ColeMAGS Mid America Groups Services

VICE CHAIR:Carlos M. MinettiDiscover Financial Services

VICE CHAIR:Kimberly A. Svoboda

TREASURER:Charles A. GavzerCataldo Family Enterprises

OUTSIDE COUNSEL:John A. JanicikMayer Brown LLP

Billy AbtABT Electronics & Applicances

Theodore J. AldrichDelaware Place Bank

Jack ArslanianMiniMoves, Inc.

Ed BachlerNombach Home Exteriors

Brian K. BarkleyAccess One, Inc.

Christina K. Frank BaveryMB Financial Bank, N.A. Bruce A. BedwellChapman and Cutler LLP

Shirley BicknellSears Holdings Corporation

Jerry N. BoudreauTransUnion LLC

David BreenSpecial Olympics Illinois

Jan BreyneAutomated Data Processing (ADP)

Joseph B. BrocatoGozdecki, Del Giudice, Americus, Farkas & Brocato LLP

Patricia Davis BrooksApple Vacations

Rick BrouwerBrouwer Bros Steamatic

Lawrence J. CarneyAmerican Home Heating Company

Katarina (Kathy) ChabezDeVry Education Group

Cindy Chiappe-KayConsultant

Ilene CollinsApartment People

Warner A. Cruz, CRJ.C. Restoration, Inc.

Timothy J. CzechIntegrated Project Management Company, Inc.

Nicholas DacanayU.S. Department of the Treasury

Bob DalaskeyArnold World Class Relocation

Jeffrey DannRJ2 & Associates, Inc. Duane G. DebsWest Suburban Bank

Steve DeZaraGalaxie Home

Mark T. DoyleNational Van Lines

Michael ErnstChicago Fire Soccer Club

Rob EwingWalgreens

Darrell FisherMidas International, Inc.

Gina FisherThe Autobarn Volkswagen of Countryside

Paul FisherDanley Garage World

John A. FittererComEd Care Center

Robert P. FleckTribune Media Group

Jeffrey J. FloerkeChicago White Sox

Russell T. (Wicker) FreemanCoyne College

William M. FulleTiffany & Company

Joseph M. GagliardoLaner, Muchin, Dombrow, Becker, Levin and Tominberg, Ltd.

Ed GarciaWireless Central LLC

Mollie Carver GawronskiBMO Harris Bank

A.F. (Duffy) GaynorIBM Corporation

Karrie GibsonVintage Tech Recyclers, Inc. James GnoffoAAA Chicago Thomas D.Graham Airoom LLC

Peter GrandeState Farm Insurance

E. Barry GreenbergThe Greenberg Law Firm

David P. GutmanDavid Gutman Consulting

Dave HamelMSI Nicole M. HoltzmannChicago Sun-Times Media Group

Katherine L. HustU.S. Cellular

Timothy D. HutchisonThe Inland Real Estate Group, Inc.

Richard HynesHynes Associates Architecture & Interiors

Clark H. JohnsonFinishingChicago.com

David KellyDex One Corporation

Christopher E. KentraMeckler, Bulger, Tilson, Marwick & Pearson, LLP

Gary LangGary Lang Auto Group

Brian LaPelusaLaPelusa Home Improvement, Inc.

Brian LeonardCardio Partner Resources, LLC

Mark A. Lies IISeyfarth Shaw LLP

Jerry LottBridgestone Retail Operations, LLC

Michael MagnussonPinnacle Advertising

Robert MarcocchioAssurance Agency, Ltd.

Dan McLaughlinOrland Park Village Hall

Howard MedleyMedley’s Moving & Self Storage

Harold (Sandy) MengerPave Man, Inc.

Bridget MoscatelloBusiness Operations Consulting

Dale MuellerChicagoland Aamco Dealers

Bruce O’NealMatthews Roofing Company, Inc.

Dennis R. OntanedaCombined Insurance

Ileene PasetWFLD/WPWR

Steve PiwowarFour Seasons Heating & AC

Jason RobertsAdvantage Chevrolet

Allen A. RodriguezRodriguez Consulting

Patrick RoneyMcDonald’s USA, LLC

Stephanie SantanderCDW

Patrick SantoroRestore Construction, Inc.

Paul F. SivakPrecision Payroll of America, LLC (PPA)

David SloanChicago Automobile Trade Association

Vincent J. SollecitoABC7 Chicago

David SparksSparks Consulting, LLC

Brandin A. StewartNBC 5 Chicago

Jerry S. StockU.S. Waterproofing

Cecil TreadwayTreadway Enterprises, Inc.

John WellsHilton Chicago

James W. WicklanderLake County Press, Inc.

Kenneth WilliamsChicago Shred Authority

Jerry ZientyJerome A. Zienty & Associates, P.C.

Steve J. BernasPresident & CEO

Carl G. JacobsonChair

Results from the activities of your Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois are impressive as the numbers in this report show. The shift with people using the BBB as an informational resource, not just a complaint handler, continues to grow. Evidence of this is the number of complaints to the BBB are down, while the number of inquires and Customer Reviews are skyrocketing. These results are largely due to our expanded outreach activities.

More than 8,500 area businesses of all sizes support the work of the BBB. The importance of this backing is crucial for the BBB to continue in educating both consumers and businesses about scam avoidance, personal data protection, financial fitness and charity support.

We gratefully acknowledge the funding from our supporters. Because the BBB receives no government funds, our work that benefits every community depends upon concerned business owners and individual consumers.

To our supporters, and to the millions of consumers and businesses that use our services, we say “Thank You.”