At Charity Navigator, we recognize that charity evaluation may not be the most scintillating of topics for most observers. That said, we are constantly searching for ways to help givers navigate a crowded marketplace, and to make this often-complex subject a tad more interesting. In the following Top 10 Lists, we identify those charities in our database that meet certain desirable or undesirable patterns of performance. As with all of our ratings of charities, the inclusion of each charity in this list is based entirely on whether or not it matched the criteria we defined for the list. In other words, we included charities based on how they performed financially, not on our subjective opinions of those charities.
Updated: 9 min 19 sec ago
Wed, 2009-12-09 22:00
Charities tackle some of society's most complex and intractable issues --- such as combating hunger, preserving the environment, curing diseases and changing people's perceptions. These are long-term objectives. To be successful, organizations must be high performers consistently, year after year. These ten charities are the first to earn 8 consecutive 4-star ratings demonstrating an ongoing fiscal excellence. They are well-positioned to pursue and achieve long-term change.
Wed, 2009-12-09 22:00
These 10 charities are creating a buzz. From rave reviews of the charity's work to concerns about its compensation practices, visitors to our site are actively posting comments about these organizations. Ranked by number of comments, click on a charity's name to read what others are saying and to post your own comment.
Wed, 2009-12-09 22:00
These 10 charities earn high ratings, but their evaluations are among the least frequently visited on our web site. Although they may not be well-known charities, their strong fiscal health makes them worthy of your consideration. They are ranked by number of page views during the month of April 2009.
Wed, 2009-12-09 22:00
This Top 10 list contains some heavy hitters in the nonprofit sector. Each of these charities had total expenses greater than $500 million in its most recent fiscal year. Their combined total expenses are approximately $10 billion. We offer this list because we believe it is enlightening for donors to realize just how large many of America's charities are and why we believe it is important that our country establish a federal regulatory agency to monitor and regulate charities.
Wed, 2009-12-09 22:00
These 10 charities are not only tops in terms of fiscal health, but also for respecting the rights of donors. Charity Navigator has awarded each of these 10 charities a 4-star rating for both organizational efficiency and organizational capacity. Besides outperforming its peers in terms of financial management, each of these charities also has a donor privacy policy in place. This tells us that these 10 charities are committed to fiscal responsibility and to protecting the personal information of contributors.
Wed, 2009-12-09 22:00
These 10 charities are not models of efficiency. Each directs more than 48% of its budget towards administrative costs. That means most of your money goes toward such expenses as liability insurance, accounting and legal services, administrative salaries, and investment expenses, not the programs you aim to support.
Wed, 2009-12-09 22:00
These 10 charities work throughout the country and the world. They are large, complex organizations with budgets exceeding $100 million, and at least $65 million in net assets. They became household names in part because of their exceptional financial management, no easy feat considering the scope and size of their operations. Charitable givers should feel confident that these national institutions put their donations to good use.
Wed, 2009-12-09 22:00
Expect to hear about these 10 charities long into the future. They are growing dramatically. Over the past three years, these charities have grown their primary sources of revenue by more than 35% each year. Over that same period, they have expanded their programs and services by more than 35% each year. In addition, these organizations also have enough money in the bank to sustain a similar rate of growth for years to come.
Wed, 2009-12-09 22:00
Since Charity Navigator launched its service in 2002, we have received thousands of requests from donors and charities to rate the financial performance of specific organizations. Users of our service are especially eager to see ratings for these ten most requested charities. The list is ranked by the number of times we have received a request to rate the charity.
Wed, 2009-12-09 22:00
The leaders of these 10 organizations run highly-rated charities, yet they earn far less than the average compensation of $150,000 reported by the over 5,000 charities rated by Charity Navigator. The low salaries help these charities, which have earned at least two consecutive 4-star ratings, devote more than 80% of their budgets to their programs and services. That means that less than 20% of your dollars are going to such costs as fundraising and administration, including the salary of the CEO. The list is ranked by the CEO's compensation.
Wed, 2009-12-09 22:00
Outspending your means can set a dangerous precedent. These 10 charities have run deficits in each of their last 3 fiscal years, establishing a pattern of overspending. They are ranked by the ratio of their average deficit to their average total expenses. This ratio conveys how significant the deficit is for each charity.
