DOCSLIB.ORG

Charity Evaluators

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Charity Evaluators 4/4/2014 Charity Evaluators How do The ▪ BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance Good ▪ Charity Navigator & ▪ Charity Watch The Bad The ▪ Guidestar‐Philanthropedia Ugly Help (and Hurt) our clients? ‐‐or‐‐ ‐ The Challenge:Raters can evaluate on The Challenge:Raters can evaluate on Governance Standards Financial Performance 1 4/4/2014 Is this the best approach? But, raters have a great deal more trouble answering the question Are their programs effective?I How, when, where are they measuring effectiveness? Is this a complete fraud? Is the organization having the desired impact? Yes, COMPLICATED Wow! that’s complicated So, there ARE different approaches Different evaluators will take different approaches. ▪ BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance ▪ Charity Navigator ▪ Charity Watch ▪ Guidestar‐Philanthropedia ▪ and a couple more of late 2 4/4/2014 The GOOD: Better Business Bureau: Wise Giving Alliance The BAD: Better Business Bureau: Wise Giving Alliance ● Oldest, most established, experienced (BBB is 112 organizations‐‐started 1912) Started rating charities 2003 ● 20 standards met? “Accredited Charity” ● Organizations can request, troubleshoot In 2012, USA Today reported that the BBB‐WGA had come under fire for giving its charity seal of approval for fees of $1,000‐$15,000 annually‐‐67% of its income. http://www.bbb.org/us/standards‐for‐charity‐accountability/ Charity Watch criticised BBB for taking money from the same agencies it was rating. The GOOD: Charity Navigator The not really so UGLY: Better Business Bureau: Wise Giving Alliance Started in 2001, $1.3M annual budget (2012) Supported by donations BBB Wise Giving Alliance, GuideStar USA, and “America’s largest charity evaluator” IndependentSector joined together to form Charting Impact. Website has a blog, donation tips and Top 10 and They ask 5 questions about aims, strategies, capabilities, Bottom 10 lists progress, & accomplishments . 3 4/4/2014 The not really soBAD: Charity Navigator The SNUGGLY: Charity Navigator Provides rating for 1,100 organizations, evaluated more than 5,400. Rates on 1. Financial Health and 2. Accountability & Transparency, use “star” system. Very transparent about its own rating system. click here for link to video. The GOOD: Charity Watch The not really soBAAAAAAD: Charity Watch Founded 1992 by Daniel Borochoff. Prides itself on independence and super sleuthing through financial data. Donors join as members $50/year. 2012 revenue was $523K 4 4/4/2014 The UGLY: Charity Watch The GOOD: Guidestar/Philanthropedia A January 25, 2011 article The Ratings Game: Evaluating the Three Groups that Rate the Charities reported in the Stanford Social Innovation Review wrote that some watchdog groups Started at Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2008, joined ● rely too heavily on simple analyses and ratios derived from poor‐quality with Guidestar in 2011. Crowd sourced expert opinion. Their financial data; ● overemphasize financial efficiency while ignoring program effectiveness; and “supply chain of nonprofit information” is ● do a poor job of conducting analysis in important qualitative areas, such as ● Sources (nonprofits, volunteers, donors, experts) management strengthen, governance quality and organizational transparency. ● Aggregators (IRS, community foundations, BBB Wise Giving Alliance, & others) This article stated Charity Watch had a “gotcha” mentality and lack of transparency itself. They aim to review nonprofits they feel are not spending wisely to education ● Hubs (Guidestar, NeXII‐now Alternativa, SocialActions & others) the public and will not hesitate to “call out” a nonprofit.” ● Channels (Fidelity, DonorEdge, Network for Good, Facebook Causes & others) ● Users (wealthy donors, retail donors, foundation staff & others) The who would think this isBad?: Philanthropedia/Guidestar The STRUGGUGLY: Philanthropedia/Guidestar Rate with an elaborate methodology based on “expert opinion.” Environment of Uncertainty versus Opportunity 5 4/4/2014 What did we learn? What can WE do about it? Financial data is easy to obtain, analyze, and report Begin with financial data to get some concept of scope But it doesn’t address the most important questions Educate yourself about the cause, form an hypothesis ● What is the problem? Find an organization that shares your hypothesis and ● What is the best approach? investigate one particular project (call, contact a local ● Is the organization taking the best approach? community foundation, United Way) The very GOOD The very GOOD GiveWell has sought proven, cost‐effective, scalable charities for individual donors to support. They look for unusually straightforward, evidence‐backed value propositions such as "$X delivers Y bednets, which saves Z lives." 6 4/4/2014 The Future? DATA The very GOOD •International society dedicated to eliminating poverty in the developing world. •Member sign the PLEGDE TO GIVE: “we will give at least 10% of our incomes to wherever we think it will do the most to relieve suffering in the developing world.” The Future •Organization are strongly vetted, recommendations are broken into two categories: 'High‐confidence recommendations' and 'Opportunities for leverage'. Susan Edwards Colson, Esq., CPA Westchester Community Foundation 200 North Central Park Ave, Suite 200 Hartsdale, NY 10530 [email protected] (914) 819‐8924 7.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • How to Convert Social Media Followers Into Donors
    E-GUIDE • 5 Fundraising Myths Debunked How to Convert Social Media Followers Into Donors Donor Management Made Easy NetworkForGood.com 1 Table of Contents Turn Your ‘Likes’ Into Donations ........................................4 Create Faithful Stewards..... ............................................... 11 Social Media Cheat Sheet ..................................................14 ABOUT NETWORK FOR GOOD Since 2001 Network for Good has played an instrumental role in helping thousands of nonprofits raise more funds by engaging supporters and donors in a more meaningful and impactful way. Refreshingly easy to use, our suite of tools, including Donor Management Software, Fundraising Pages, and Personal Fundraising Coaches, provides nonprofits with a complete fundraising solution, saving them time and enabling them to succeed in fulfilling their mission. “Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.” —Eleanor Roosevelt Marketing to donors has changed dramatically thanks to the internet and the advent of social media. Organizations can now maintain continuous contact with their supporters at little to no cost. But all the ‘likes’ in the world don’t mean anything if they’re not converting into donations to your nonprofit. How you choose to engage with your donors via social media is vital. Both to increase the amount of gifts to your cause, and to amplify your organization’s message. In this guide we will show you how to acquire new donors via social media, how to engage your existing supporters through social media channels, how to turn their support into donations, and how to create stewardship programs. And we will also provide you with an actionable social media cheat sheet.
    [Show full text]
  • Healthy People. Better World. Since 1948. Cover Photo: Jodie Willard Acenese Girl in a Relief Camp in Banda Aceh, Indonesia Photo: Jodie Willard
    direct relief international | annual report 2005 healthy people. better world. since 1948. cover photo: Jodie Willard www.Jodiewillard.com Acenese girl in a relief camp in Banda Aceh, Indonesia photo: Jodie Willard Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne and Direct Relief VP of Programs Chris Brady at Sarvodaya in Colombo, Sri Lanka This report is dedicated to Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne and Sarvodaya, the dynamic Sri Lankan community organization that he leads: for extraordinary, sustained leadership in thousands of Sri Lanka’s village communities, for joining altruistic ideals with productive initiatives, and for the enormous efforts undertaken in the aftermath of the Asian tsunami to help people rebuild their communities and lives. 1 | LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO | It is a privilege to report on Direct Relief’s 57th year of operations, in which our organization received more support and was able to provide more help to more people than in any previous year. This is the first report on our new fiscal year reporting period, which began on April 1, 2004, and ended on March 31, 2005. The year was marked by the extraordinary single-event tragedy of the Asian tsunami, which killed and displaced hundreds of thousands of people, and the slow-motion and less visible human tragedies that occur every day in developing countries. These events called upon our organization to focus more intensely than ever to help people facing tremendous challenges to meet basic health needs. Our longstanding focus on efficiency is rooted in the simple desire to help as many people as possible with whatever resources are entrusted to us.
    [Show full text]
  • Event-Based Fundraising
    Raise more money for your cause! About Nonprofit Fundraising 101 Based on expert advice and insights from a variety of respected industry experts, Nonprofit Fundraising 101 is an essential text for nonprofit professionals, volunteers, activists, and social entrepreneurs who want to leverage best practices to promote their cause. Built upon the success of the best-selling Nonprofit Management 101, this easy to digest book provides practical, comprehensive guidance for nonprofit fundraising around the globe. With tips and tools, expert advice, and real-world insights from almost fifty industry leaders, this robust resource addresses the entire spectrum of fundraising for nonprofits, including: • Planning, hiring, and tracking progress • Individual donors, major gifts, events, and direct mail • Board and volunteer engagement • Foundation and government grants • Corporate partnerships • Online and email fundraising • Social media and mobile crowdfunding • Earned income and social enterprise Written by and for front line practitioners and geared towards a global audience of emerging and established leaders, this field guide offers step- by-step formulas for success. Nonprofit Fundraising 101 features a foreword by fundraising guru and Soul of Money author Lynne Twist, insights from notable non-profit professionals such as CNN's Van Jones, and an afterword by Kiva.org Co-Founder & President Premal Shah. This book also provides indispensible ideas and diverse case studies ranging from grassroots efforts to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, and advice
    [Show full text]
  • BY: CLAIRE AXELRAD Intro
    BY: CLAIRE AXELRAD Intro The end of the calendar year is fast approaching. This is the time when your annual fundraising goals will likely be met, surpassed or put onto life support. Because even if you operate on a fiscal year, now is the time when people do most of their annual giving. Don’t delay. The end of the calendar year is when most folks engage in philanthropy. You don’t want to waste this time when people are feeling their most generous. October or November is too late to begin thinking about your strategy. You must plan ahead, because 50% of nonprofits receive a majority of their annual contributions from October to December. In fact, over 30% of donations are made during the month of December alone. This time of year also includes the celebrations that inspire the most generosity: Thanksgiving, #GivingTuesday and Christmas, per a Network for Good report. In fact, a whopping 77% donors surveyed noted December 25th was the day that most inspired them to give. And donors who have tax benefits in mind will give last-minute gifts before January 1st. The important lesson here? It’s not too early to start developing a strategy for the end of 2020. PAGE 2 BLOOMERANG CLAIRIFICATION YEAR-END GIVING CHECKLIST: BLOOMERANG.CO CLAIRIFICATION.COM 13 TIPS FOR LUCK Give yourself ample time to plan all the elements of your year-end campaign. Create your strategy, collect visuals to support your most compelling stories, recruit your most effective fundraisers and build a time-line for deploying your campaign offer across multiple chan- nels.
    [Show full text]
  • Our Digital Dilemma
    WHITE PAPER Our Digital Dilemma New data reveals our approach to donor retention may be all wrong: How Netflix changed the way we need to fundraise. Donor Management Made Easy NetworkForGood.com 1 Table of Contents The Dilemma ..........................................................................3 Summary .................................................................................4 Key Findings ...........................................................................6 Fundraising Through the Lens of Netflix ..........................8 Conclusion ...........................................................................12 Next Steps .............................................................................13 Appendix ...............................................................................14 References ............................................................................17 About Network for Good...................................................18 Donor Management Made Easy NetworkForGood.com 2 The Dilemma Nonprofit organizations in the United States are now being challenged by major political, demographic, economic, and technological factors outside of their control, and are not able to adapt. There has been a tectonic shift in how consumers—our donors—engage with content, favoring more frequency that can be accessed through multiple, digital channels. Nonprofits with operating budgets of less than $3 million, a segment that comprises more than 85 percent of our sector, spend roughly $33,000 each year on consultants,
    [Show full text]
  • For the Average Philanthropist Author: Rishi Kaneriya - [email protected] Adviser: Dr
    – Independent Work Report Fall, 2015 – MyLight: The “One Stop Shop” for the Average Philanthropist Author: Rishi Kaneriya - [email protected] Adviser: Dr. Robert Dondero - [email protected] Abstract MyLight is a web application designed to serve as the “one stop shop” for the average philan- thropist looking to donate to non-profit organizations online. It recommends charities to users based on their personal charitable interests, visualizes data about them in an easy-to-understand way that inspires action, integrates current events about charities in the news, and contains social functionality to help users stay connected to fellow donors. This paper discusses related charity- finding products before detailing the ways in which MyLight differentiates itself as a truly integrated solution. It also discusses the technical implementation of the application, as well as ways in which it was evaluated, before culminating in a discussion of potential improvements that could refine MyLight’s ability to empower everyday philanthropists in the future. 1. Introduction Last year, the amount of overall charitable giving around the world was up 3% from the year before, with online charitable giving up by 9% [17]. Furthermore, individuals — as opposed to foundations, grants, or corporations — accounted for the largest majority of contributions; a remarkable 72% of total contributions in 2013 came from individuals [13]. These figures highlight not only the rich altruistic spirit of the global community, but also the collective power of individuals to make positive change. The World Bank recently predicted that, by the end of 2015, “the number of people living in extreme poverty around the world is likely to fall to under 10 percent of the global population” [3].
    [Show full text]
  • A Charity Badge to Raise Dough?
    Fundraising forum A Charity Badge to Raise Dough? Would a charity badge be a good fundraising vehicle for your organization? By Lance Trebesch & Taylor Robinson harity badges are increasing $100,000 raised in only three weeks, your cause by seeing who puts your in popularity and may become www.sharingfoundation.org), the ma- badge on their Web site, blog, or Cmore important in the future. jority of charity badge fundraisers social network profile. If you don’t have one, here’s what have less impressive results. Ac- 4. Targeted Audience. According you need to know. cording to TechSoup (“Show Me the to Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org), A charity badge is a small widget Numbers: Can Group Fundraising more than 61% of all donations come (a mini-Web page), often including Help You?”, www.techsoup.org), from personal requests. A charity a picture, brief description of the which collected data from group badge is often shared from one organization, and link to where you fundraising sites (these numbers friend to another, targeting requests can make a donation. The beauty of don’t exclusively reflect charity badge to individuals who may donate. For the charity badge is that it lets users fundraisers), the average group example, if you were an environ- share with one another by simply fundraiser yielded revenue of only mental nonprofit, you could place clicking on “get this badge” (word- $692.80. your badge on an established “envi- ing may vary depending on the 2. Number of Participants. The ronmental group” within a social badge provider), then copying and concept of charity badges is still networking site, and friends in the pasting the html code onto their relatively new and not yet wide- group would share the badge, giving Web site or blog.
    [Show full text]
  • CAUSE MARKETING THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA 5 Steps to Successful Online Campaigns
    eGuide CAUSE MARKETING THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA 5 Steps to Successful Online Campaigns By Kate Olsen and Geoff Livingston WWW.NETWORKFORGOOD.ORG/PARTNER ZOETICAMEDIA.COM About the Contributors Network for Good is a nonprofit that enables charitable Zoetica serves nonprofits and socially conscious companies acts anytime, anywhere through technology. with top-tier, word-of-mouth communication services. A social enterprise, Zoetica provides superior communication We’re here to help your company ‘do well by doing good’ consulting, training, and strategy to help mindful with expertise and solutions to power your online giving, organizations affect social change. extend the reach of your charitable initiatives and track points of engagement so you can communicate results. Zoetica provides five areas of service for organizations looking to engage online: Let us help your company: • Market assessment and research • Connect your stakeholders with their favorite • Marketing communications strategy causes (over 1.2 million charities) • Communications training • Reward stakeholders with The Good Card® – a • Guidelines and structure gift card for charity • Implementation support • Host an online social good campaign • Promote holiday giving initiatives www.zoeticamedia.com • Enable giving in the wake of a humanitarian disaster Network for Good has processed more than $800 million in donations for more than 80,000 nonprofits since our 2001 founding by AOL, Cisco and Yahoo!. www.networkforgood.org To access this guide in electronic format, please visit www.networkforgood.org/causemarketing NETWORKFORGOOD.ORG | ZOETICAMEDIA.COM 2 About this eGuide: Why you should keep reading As thought leaders and corporate cause marketing partners, Online Social Good Campaign Checklist i ii Network for Good and Zoetica have been involved in Step 1: Cover the Basics p.
    [Show full text]
  • Charitable Technologies: Opportunities for Collaborative Computing in Nonprofit Fundraising Jeremy Goecks1, Amy Voida2, Stephen Voida2 & Elizabeth D
    Charitable Technologies: Opportunities for Collaborative Computing in Nonprofit Fundraising Jeremy Goecks1, Amy Voida2, Stephen Voida2 & Elizabeth D. Mynatt1 1GVU Center, College of Computing 2Department of Computer Science Georgia Institute of Technology University of Calgary 85 5th Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30308 USA Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 Canada {jeremy, mynatt}@cc.gatech.edu {avoida, svoida}@ucalgary.ca ABSTRACT The nonprofit fundraising domain features numerous This paper presents research analyzing the role of diverse stakeholders—including donors, potential donors, computational technology in the domain of nonprofit nonprofit organizations, intermediary organizations, and fundraising. Nonprofits are a cornerstone of many societies beneficiaries—who have appropriated computational and are especially prominent in the United States, where technologies in a variety of ways in order to interact and $295 billion, or slightly more than 2% of the U.S. Gross collaborate with other stakeholders. For instance, donors Domestic Product (i.e. total national revenue), was directed are using technology to engage with other donors and toward charitable causes in 2006. Nonprofits afford many potential donors through individual advocacy campaigns worthwhile endeavors, including crisis relief, basic services and ad-hoc collective action, and nonprofit organizations to those in need, public education and the arts, and are using technology to enable donors to select and preservation of the natural environment. In this paper, we contribute directly to individual beneficiaries. identify six roles that computational technology plays in These examples suggest that much can be learned about support of nonprofit fundraising and present two models collaborative computing by studying technology use in the characterizing technology use in this domain: (1) a cycle of nonprofit fundraising domain.
    [Show full text]
  • Go for Gold…And Platinum! Charity Ratings Informational Seminar
    Go For Gold…and Platinum! Charity Ratings Informational Seminar Training Program Developed by: YOUR PART‐TIME CONTROLLER, LLC Copyright © 2019 by Your Part‐Time Controller, LLC All rights reserved Agenda During today’s seminar, we will share: An overview of the primary watchdog organizations The criteria they use to evaluate nonprofits Why these ratings matter (and why improving them can increase your fundraising potential) Steps to take now to improve your organization’s charity profile rating Go For Gold...and Platinum! Overview Charity watchdogs are organizations that collect and share information about nonprofit organizations • They use this information to evaluate and rate your organization • These ratings are available to the public • Charity watchdogs are nonprofit organizations themselves! Our goal is to help you understand what data they are sharing so your organization can improve its rating Go For Gold...and Platinum! Overview Top charity watchdog organizations • GuideStar (by Candid.) (www.guidestar.org) • CharityWatch (www.charitywatch.org) • Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org) • BBB (Better Business Bureau) Wise Giving Alliance (www.give.org) Go For Gold...and Platinum! What do these companies have in common? Go For Gold...and Platinum! Overview: GuideStar 24 9M • Originally founded as Philanthropic Research, Inc. • Data comes from public sources, other organizations, and nonprofits themselves • GuideStar has more than 200 partner sites and applications • Users can access data for free, or purchase a subscription
    [Show full text]
  • How to Write Amazing Fundraising Appeals
    eGuide How to Write Amazing Fundraising Appeals A quick guide to inspiring more donations with a compelling message. WWW.NETWORKFORGOOD.COM About this Guide To raise more money online, you need a great appeal that grabs donors’ attention and inspires them to give. How do you create fundraising letters that stand out and get results? We’ve got you covered. This short guide will give you practical tips for: • Focusing on the key things donors want to know • How to tell a compelling—and effective—story • Crafting an irresistible call to action • Simple tactics for improving donor conversion and increasing your average gift size Ready to create your best fundraising appeals ever? Let’s get started! About Network for Good Network for Good powers more digital giving than any other platform. Since 2001, we’ve processed over $1 billion for more than 100,000 nonprofits. We are Level 1 Audited PCI Compliant and our Donor Advised Fund is accredited by the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, meeting all 20 of its standards for charity accountability. Plus, we’re registered in every state for online fundraising. We’re a mission-minded organization, like you, and we’re passionate about seeing good causes succeed. We also believe in the power of communities to do great things. Our online fundraising solutions come with all of the support and coaching you’ve come to expect from Network for Good. We’re here to help you connect with donors and create more successful fundraising campaigns. WWW.NETWORKFORGOOD.COM 2 We love small nonprofits. We also believe small organizations deserve great technology, too.
    [Show full text]
  • Online Philanthropy Markets from ‘Feel-Good’ Giving to Effective Social Investing?
    Online Philanthropy Markets from ‘Feel-Good’ Giving to Effective Social Investing? A study funded by the Aspen Institute’s Nonprofi t Sector Research Fund Online Philanthropy Markets: from ‘Feel-Good’ Giving to Effective Social Investing? David Bonbright, Natalia Kiryttopoulou and Lindsay Iversen January 2008 Online Philanthropy Markets 2 Table of contents Preface 3 Foreword 4 Executive summary 6 Introduction 10 Chapter 1 Promise 13 Chapter 2 State of play 19 Chapter 3 Obstacles 36 Chapter 4 Ways forward 43 Appendix Project methodology 55 Appendix List of websites examined 57 Appendix About Keystone 59 Appendix About the authors 60 Appendix Survey findings 61 From ‘feel-good’ giving to effective social investing 3 Preface This study uncovers how the Internet is changing the way citizens give of their time and resources to support people in need. Online philanthropy markets promise to transform both the quantity and quality of resources for human development. In the 24 online markets and six informational sites that we analyzed, we found diversity, creativity and innovation. Yet we conclude that these ‘markets for good’ do not yet fulfill their transformational promise. This study offers a way of thinking about and developing online philanthropy markets that will help chart their progress. Almost a decade after online giving first emerged we can now begin to see the key drivers of present success and a promising pathway for greater effectiveness. We conclude that the markets could indeed make a significant contribution to just, sustainable development, but they will do so only if they address the fatal flaw at the heart of our profession – the generally inadequate informational basis for understanding the difference we make.
    [Show full text]