We are in a time of massive financial upheaval, generated by the failure of those who are in key decision making positions to act in the best interests of their constituents. While most of the attention has been focused on Wall Street and the for-profit sector, we have our own nasty situation going on in the massage therapy profession.
The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCB) is a tax-exempt non-profit organization; as such, its annual IRS returns are public record. I recently obtained NCB’s most recent Form 990, the official IRS statement that is filed by non-profits, and it is truly shocking.
The 2008 form has not yet been filed, and it has been NCB’s practice over the past several years to delay filing until the last legal date. These figures are from 2007, and to put them in perspective, I’ll compare it to previous years.
From 2005 to 2006, NCB ran a surplus of $1.4 million. However, from 2006 to 2007, the organization ran a deficit of $93,000. That’s a shift of $1.5 Million! Is business down? Heck, no. In fact, last year when my approved provider certificate was late in arriving, and I called the NCB to check on it, I was told that the organization had received four times as many provider applications as usual and that staff was overwhelmed. In 2006, NCB administered more than 22,500 exams, and that number increased to more than 24,500 in 2008. Since business wasn’t suffering, it must be that expenses are up, and how.
Here are some of the significant changes that occurred between 2006 and 2007 that caused this deficit:
- Legal fees increased by 331%. Hardly surprising, since the NCB has hired lawyers and lobbyists all over the country to interfere with the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards and the states that have adopted, or are considering adopting the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Exam.
- Conference and meeting expenses increased by 273%. Gee whiz, apparently it costs more money to hold a Board meeting when you fly everyone to Honolulu or camp out in ritzy destination resorts with hotel rooms costing hundreds of dollars per night.
- Promotions, marketing, and exhibit booth expenses increased by a whopping 1363%! That’s called damage control, in my opinion. NCB has really pumped up its marketing efforts since the Federation introduced the MBLEx. The problem is that the campaign has been mostly negative, specifically aimed at undermining the Federation, as well as spreading false information about the MBLEx and the state boards that have chosen to use that new exam. The problem is, no amount of spin can overcome a fundamentally flawed position.
- Total compensation to the Board of Directors and key personnel increased by 80%, and CEO compensation increased by 72%. While that may seem like a big jump, it’s nothing compared to the whopping 260% increase that went to Board Chair Donna Feeley. A mere two years earlier, the Chair was given just $21,075 in compensation. How in the world could NCB Board of Directors justify paying Ms. Feeley $103,800/year plus more than $4,500 in expenses for a volunteer position that is officially listed on Form 990 as 10 hours per week? What is wrong with this picture? And let’s not forget that this is the same group of Directors that voted to DOUBLE their length of time in office.
Here’s the bottom line: NCB’s leadership is spending unsustainable amounts of money in a futile attempt to keep fighting a losing battle. As I mentioned previously, our two largest membership associations have spoken clearly, and have issued a ringing endorsement of the MBLEx as the single solution for our profession’s entry-level licensure exam.
The money that NCB is rapidly burning through is not their own, it belongs to you and me… the certificants. Outrage is an appropriate emotion when this kind of behavior is happening in plain view. Don’t be shy when expressing your feelings to NCB on this important subject.
I am betting my money that NCB’s 2008 financial picture is going to look even worse than what has been described here. I’ll be reporting on that as soon as I have the information. In the meantime, I’ll be waiting to hear if NCB is lining up behind the banks and the automakers to ask the Obama Administration for a bailout.
Peace & Prosperity,
Laura Allen
