Frequently Asked Questions

1. America Gives Back is a new organization - was it established specifically for 'Idol Gives Back 2007'?

America Gives Back (AGB) is the realization of an idea that had been under discussion for several years. AGB's mission is to drive positive change through the power of entertainment and the unique opportunity presented by the partnership with "American Idol 2007" gave impetus to the formal creation of AGB (formerly known as Charity Projects Entertainment Fund) as a registered 501(c)(3) charity.

2. Why has the organization changed its name to America Gives Back?

Charity Projects Entertainment Fund is now called America Gives Back. We changed our name in recognition of the extraordinary response of the American public to our call to help people living in extreme poverty at home and around the world.

3. What percentage of viewer donations will go to the beneficiaries?

The AGB Board can confirm that all monies received from viewers online and telephone donations from "Idol Gives Back" 2007 have gone directly to the beneficiaries to help some of the most vulnerable and poor people in America and Africa. One of our key values is deliver our work for maximum effect and minimum costs. We therefore aim to keep our costs and expenses as low as possible, to maximize the money going to our beneficiaries.

4. How much money is spent on administration costs?

Whilst AGB is committed to keeping running costs to a minimum, it does, like any professional organization, have some administration and overhead costs. However, these are covered by a combination of philanthropic donations; corporate support and interest received.

5. How did America Gives Back select the charities that will benefit from the funds raised?

AGB worked with respected independent consultants to help identify the most suitable African and US charities, and to carry out due diligence on them. For "Idol Gives Back" in 2007, organizations were pre-screened against a set of criteria. A long list of organizations was vetted against these criteria using publicly available information, interviews with industry experts, press searches, and targeted conversations with the organizations themselves. The final list of organizations was approved by the AGB Board including representatives from Comic Relief UK, Fox, Fremantle, The Tides Foundation and 19 Management.

6. Who will oversee the allocation of funds to the various charities? How will that process work?

The AGB Board of Directors oversees the allocation of funds to the charities. The Board agrees how the money raised will be allocated among the nominated charities. The nominated charities will be asked to present program proposals under the banner of children and young people living in extreme poverty and their funds are distributed on a bi-annual basis subject to satisfactory reports.

7. Are "American Idol" and America Gives Back only working with the charities named in the website? Will other organizations or charities be able to get involved?

The AGB Board chose the charities who benefitted from 'Idol Gives Back 07'. However, for future initiatives the chosen beneficiaries will be subject to review and other organizations and charities will have an opportunity to be involved.

8. Why will half of the money raised by "Idol Gives Back" 07 be spent on helping people in Africa?

The world's poorest 20 countries are in Africa and every 3 seconds a child dies of hunger and preventable diseases - that's over 30,000 a day. While we live with statistics like this, organizations like AGB will always have a job to do. AGB is seriously committed to bringing an end to poverty and social injustice and hopes that funds raised will help people in America and some of the poorest countries in the world make long-term changes to their lives.

9. Whose idea was it to combine a charity appeal with an entertainment program?

AGB was established through Richard Curtis' and Simon Fuller's shared passion for tackling the problems of extreme poverty in the United States and throughout the world. AGB is supported by the people behind UK Red Nose Day, Live 8 and ONE who embraced a unique opportunity to work with American Idol to bring the issue of extreme poverty in America and Africa - not only the intensity of it, but also solutions and optimism - into the hearts, minds and homes of millions of Americans. AGB hopes to use the power of entertainment to help communicate serious messages and raise money for vulnerable people.

10. I'd like to find out about adopting children who were featured in one of the appeal films.

The children featured in "Idol Gives Back" in 2007 are already being helped by a local project in Africa. There are many other children who need your help that haven't been featured in our films on "Idol Gives Back" 07 and money we raise will be able to help many more children like the ones in these films. If you are still interested in sponsoring a child, Save The Children US have a child sponsorship scheme and are also one of the beneficiaries of the "Idol Gives Back 07" program.
"Idol Gives Back" / AGB cannot respond to individual enquiries regarding adoption but can assure viewers that the children in the appeal films are being cared for at a project which will continue to receive further funding from the US.

Last Modified: March 2009

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