I.	Name of Organization	Best Buddies for Children with Mental Retardation
	Federation Name	Independent Charities of America   CVC Code 1534
	Organization Homepage	http://www.bestbuddies.org
	Organization was founded on	03/08/1989
	Name AS IT APPEARS in VDAC listing	BEST BUDDIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. Registration Status: Registered (102)
	Mailing Address	100 SE 2nd Street, Suite 2200 Miami, FL 33131
	Telephone No.	(800) 892-8339
	Fax No.	(305) 374-5305
	Contact person	Fennell, Megan ( Email Address: MeganFennell@bestbuddies.org )
II.	State the services provided by your organization in 25 words or less: Children with mental retardation are often lonely and isolated. Change their future by matching them with volunteers in one-to-one friendships…providing 'Best Buddies' for life.
III.	Please provide a comprehensive extended statement of services that will clearly demonstrate to the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign Advisory Council your qualifications for participation in the CVC as related to the services listed below. Additionally, discuss the eligibility requirements for an applicant to receive services. What determines the amount of aid provided? If charges are made for services rendered, how are levels determined and in what cases are the charges waived, if any? Making a Difference Best Buddies is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships and integrated employment, Founded in 1989 by Anthony K. Shriver, Best Buddies is a vibrant, international organization that has grown from one original chapter to more than 1,000 middle school, high school, and college campuses across the country and internationally. Best Buddies volunteers annually contribute services that estimate a value of $52 million - at no cost to the community. Since its inception in 1989, Best Buddies has had an impact on the lives of more than 250,000 volunteers and people with intellectual disabilities in hundreds of communities around the world, Today, Best Buddies offers six programs: Best Buddies Middle Schools, Best Buddies High Schools, Best Buddies Colleges, Best Buddies Citizens, e-Buddies and Best Buddies Jobs. Our programs today reach to all 50 of the United States, and now include Canada, Cuba, Egypt, Greece, Ireland, Mexico, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia and Sweden, with programs developing in Austria, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom. For the first time, we are actually serving 50,000 volunteers in o" year. In addition to the traditional campus-based volunteer activities, and for those with limited personal time, Best Buddies helps people with intellectual disabilities connect with others through technology with its online friendship program, e-Buddies, Vision We have big plans for the future. Specifically, by 2010, Best Buddies will continue to build on our program base in all 50 states, establish programs in 50 countries and have 500,000 participants worldwide. , Impact Best Buddies was born when Founder Anthony K. Shriver recognized the unjustified lack of opportunity for people with intellectual disabilities to socialize with non-disabled peers, as well as the power and impact of friendship in developing their self-esteem and improving their outlook on society. A college student himself, Shriver knew that his fellow colleagues had the energy and commitment to positively transform their communities. His inspiration to bring both groups together created Best Buddies. Best Buddies is a life-changing experience for a person with intellectual disabilities. As a result of their experience in Best Buddies, people with intellectual disabilities have an increased sense of self-worth, which leads to securing successful jobs, learning how to ride public transportation, living independently in their own homes, falling in love, raising a family and making lifelong friendships. They also develop a comfort level in speaking up for themselves and having friends who are not disabled, confidence in living in the community and obtaining a job, and the ability to make choices for themselves. Best Buddies is also an extraordinary experience for a per their participation in Best Buddies, middle school, high sc have an increased understanding of themselves and a mo different perspective on what is important in life-, a desire with people who have disabilities; a more positive attitudE disabilities; a new respect for the challenges facing peopl support for people with intellectual disabilities living and on who is not disabled- As a result of ool, college, and citizen volunteers a positive feeling about their lives; a r their children to have friendships about people with intellectual with intellectual disabilities; strong orking in their community. Today, Best Buddies offers six programs: Best Buddies Mi c1la Schools, Best Buddies High Schools, Best Buddies Colleges, Best Buddies Citizens, e4uddies and Best Buddies Jobs. Mental Retardation More than 7.5 million Americans have an intellectual disab babies are added to this number annually. Three out of ev this country have, or will develop, an intellectual disability. A person with an intellectual disability is one who, from ch average rate. As a consequence, the person experiences L relatively ineffective in applying whatever he/she has learr living. Mental retardation, formerly known as mental retardation, symptoms associated with a condition, disorder, or develc because it is not a disease. Testing methods have various cutoff points for the diagno range from an IQ of 70 to an IQ of 80. However, IQ is not person with an intellectual disability also exhibits impairec population with mental retardation, the majority are mildl) percent are moderately -affected and three percent are se, More than 200 causes of mental retardation have been id syphilis, meningitis, toxoplasmosis, RH-factor, substance z abnormalities such as Down Syndrome. .1ity. More than 100,000 newborn ary one hundred children born in ldhood, develops at a below inusual difficulty in learning and is ed to the problems of ordinary may be regarded as a set of ipmental history. It is not contagious sis of mental retardation. These can the only criteria for diagnosis. A adaptive behavior, Of the total affected (approximately 87%). Ten terely or profoundly affected. ntified. Causes include rubella, buse, and chromosome Best Buddies Programs in Virginia 92% of all revenue goes directly to Best Buddies program while only 8% is spent on administration and fundraising. When people with disabilities are unable to attain or main absence of social skills rather than an inadequacy to perfo introduces socialization opportunities and job coaching, p people with mental retardation to become more indepenc included in the community, * Best Buddies Colleges matches people with mental reta creates one- to-one friendships between them, In the past, have not had the opportunity to have friends outside of th environment. By becoming a College Buddy, volunteers o life in a new way. o e-BuddiesO creates respective e-mail friendships betweE retardation, Using the technology of e-mail, Best Buddies opportunities to people with mental retardation through e www.ebuddles.org, to find out more, Best Buddies Chapters in Virginia e-Buddies 160 Active Participants 125 Graduated Participants Colleges George Mason University James Madison University Longwood College Lynchburg College Mary Washington College Marymount University Roanoke College Saint Paul's College University of Virginia for people with mental retardation, ain a job, it is most often due to an m the work required. Best Buddies oviding the necessary tools for ent and, correspondingly, more clation with college students and individuals with mental retardation ~lr own, often isolated, fer a Buddy the chance to explore .n people with and without mental brings additional unconventional -Buddies. Visit our web site,
IV.	Services: Categories that describe the mission of your charity. (This information will be used to assist our donors in their search efforts.) [  ] Addiction and Substance Abuse [  ] Aging [  ] Animal Protection and Services [  ] Arts, Culture and Humanities [X] Child and Youth Development [  ] Civil Rights and Liberties [  ] Community Improvement [  ] Conservation [X] Disabilities [  ] Disaster Relief [  ] Disease and Disease Research [  ] Domestic Violence [  ] Education [  ] Emergency Relief and Shelter [  ] Employment [  ] Environmental Beautification and Horticulture [  ] Environmental Conservation or Preservation [  ] Faith-Based Services [  ] Health [  ] Health Care Facilities and Programs [  ] Health Education [  ] Health Research [  ] Historical Preservation [  ] Homeland Security [  ] Homeless [  ] Housing [  ] Human Rights [  ] Hunger [  ] International Development and Relief [  ] International Human Rights [  ] International Peace and Security [  ] Jails/Prisons [  ] Legal Services [  ] Libraries [  ] Mental Health [  ] Museums [  ] Natural Disasters and Catastrophes [  ] Needy Families [  ] Peace [  ] Performing Arts [  ] Poverty [  ] Preparation or delivery of meals [  ] Public Safety [  ] Recreation and Sports [  ] Rural Concerns [  ] Safety and Security [  ] Services to Military/Veterans [  ] Social Services [  ] Transportation [  ] Women's issues
V.	Campaign Region covered: [  ] Statewide [X] National [  ] International [  ] Region 1 [  ] Region 2 [  ] Region 3 [  ] Region 4 [  ] Region 5 [  ] Region 6 [  ] Region 7
VI.	Administrative/Fundraising Cost The combined fundraising/administrative costs incurred by this organization, based upon 2006 IRS Form 990: Management Expense 559254.00 Fund Raising Cost 899276.00 Total Revenue 11364780.00 Percent 12.83%