MDA RANKED AMONG 25 MOST EFFICIENT MAJOR U.S. CHARITIES

TUCSON, Ariz., October 18, 1996 -- The Muscular Dystrophy Association is ranked among the nation's top charities in Money magazine's annual cost-efficiency review of nonprofit organizations, and leads the country's 25 largest charities in percentage of income received from the public.

Money's November 1996 "Which Charities Merit Your Money" report shows that 95 percent of MDA's income comes from individual contributors with more than 76 cents of every dollar it raises spent on program services.

For the first time in seven years, the Money survey includes a public support measurement for each agency. The publication justifies the addition of this analysis to its report on the nation's 100 largest charities (according to total income), saying "that's important to know because groups that get a large portion of their money from government and institutional sources or earned income, such as the American Red Cross and Catholic Charities USA, generally can spend a smaller portion of their income on fund raising than such groups as the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the American Cancer Society that rely heavily on individual gifts."

MDA President Robert Bennett said, "The consistently high marks MDA gets for efficiency in this yearly survey of top charities, underscore its unshakable commitment to cost-effectiveness. Our vigilant efforts to make the best possible use of the public's generous contributions, combined with the tireless support of some two million volunteers, assures a generous public that donations to MDA make a real difference in the battle to eradicate progressive neuromuscular diseases."

MDA offers an array of clinical, orthopedic and other health services to adults and children affected by any of 40 neuromuscular disorders. Its unparalleled program of medical and support services is maintained through some 230 hospital-affiliated clinics nationwide.

The Association also is the country's largest private-sector sponsor of neuromuscular disease research, annually funding some 400 scientific teams worldwide. MDA investigators have placed the Association on the threshold of delivering treatments and cures for several muscle-wasting disorders, and they have pioneered breakthroughs that may lead to therapies for heart disease, cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's and cystic fibrosis.

Unlike other nonprofit organizations contained in the Money review of top charities, MDA does not seek or accept government grants, fees for services, or funds from the United Way.The Money survey also indicates that MDA meets the strict standards of the three major "watchdog" organizations -- Council of Better Business Bureaus, National Charities Information Bureau and the American Institute of Philanthropy.