How Your Charity Measures Up

published 2 November 2011

A new rating system makes it easier to verify that your donations are going to a worthy charity. Charity Navigator has long been the arbiter of charities’ bona fides. Its new 2.0 rating system now measures accountability and transparency as well as financial health.

6 Things You Need to Know About Giving to Charity

Seventeen new gauges were added, such as whether a charity has independent board members, a conflict-of-interest policy or a board audit committee. CEO Ken Berger says the ratings help people assess the risk of donating to a particular charity. “If an organization doesn’t have these policies and practices, then even if it’s financially healthy there’s a higher risk that your contribution may not be spent as you desire.”