After a fundraising and public relations disaster in 1993, the award-winning Marine Toys for Tots Foundation regrouped and came back stronger than ever.

By Melissa Busch

“We were really struggling to make ends meet,” Grein says. “But our brand was so strong. We’ve always had our brand, which is something to be proud of.”

Toys for Tots whittled its expenses down to 3 percent of contributions. At the height of the scandal, expenses accounted for about 75 percent.

“To go from very insecure and struggling to the 66th largest nonprofit (in the country), according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy [2005 Philanthropy 400], is pretty amazing,” Grein adds.