Charity Navigator will unify its two rating systems this Fall. This holistic system will account for all aspects of a nonprofit’s operations within the four-beacon Encompass framework. One of those beacons is Leadership & Adaptability, which assesses how nonprofits invest in leadership and promote shared accountability and adaptability for achieving impact across all levels of their organization.  Read more ..read more

  The Culture & Community beacon of the Encompass Rating System comprises two vital assessments: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Constituent Feedback. These assessments evaluate the interconnectedness of an organization’s culture and commitment to fostering strong connections within its community. We believe equitable programming and thorough feedback practices demonstrate a nonprofit’s likelihood to deliver on its mission consistently.  Read more ..read more

Welcome to our Meet The Team series, where each month, we introduce a member of the Charity Navigator team to our readers. We are extremely honored to be a part of the nonprofit community where our footprint (and our ratings!) have expanded, and we are incredibly appreciative of the support received from our donors and users, nonprofits, and funders. We hope this series will be enlightening and entertaining. Click here for other profiles. Growing up with a Montessori education alongside family values of tikkun olam encouraged me to participate in the nonprofit sector at a young age. My child ..read more

The centerpiece of our four-beacon Encompass system is our Impact and Results Beacon. This beacon scores nonprofits’ expected impact on beneficiaries compared to the costs of producing that impact. In other words, we provide information about what a nonprofit achieves for each donated dollar it spends. An organization’s Impact & Results score comprises 50% of the total Encompass score where it is present. We weigh this beacon more heavily than the other three because, in a world of scarce resources, we think it's essential to highlight impactful giving opportunities where donations do exc ..read more

As we announced this summer, Charity Navigator will be unifying its two rating systems (CN 2.1, also known as the Star Rating System, and the Encompass Rating System) this fall. Rather than offering two distinct rating systems, one holistic system will account for all aspects of a nonprofit’s operations that fall within the four-beacon Encompass framework. All eligible nonprofits will receive a 0-4 Star rating based on the aggregation of their earned beacons, not just on the finance, accountability, and transparency metrics that underpinned our legacy system.  Read more ..read more

With rent and inflation on the rise, we are looking at what is likely to be a sustained economic downturn. As people struggle to make ends meet amid rising costs, charities providing essential services, including food and housing, will see an increase in the needs of the communities they serve. History suggests that even as demand grows, economic downturns reduce charitable donations. In 2008, charitable giving dropped 7 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars, followed by another 6.2 percent decrease in 2009. Giving didn’t begin to rebound until 2010, with just a 1.3 percent increase.  ..read more

On May 24, we announced our plan to release a single unified rating system in October 2022. This unification will bring together our legacy Charity Navigator 2.1 (Star) system with our Encompass Rating System, rating more than 200,000 nonprofits. This is the culmination of a two-year journey of research, consulting, experimenting, and iterating different approaches and lenses to rate nonprofits more thoroughly and accurately. We are proud that Encompass, the system that will power evaluations moving forward, is the most comprehensive and flexible rating framework available, providing obje ..read more

Welcome to our Meet The Team series, where each month we introduce a member of the Charity Navigator team to our readers. We are extremely honored to be a part of the nonprofit community where our footprint (and our ratings!) have expanded, and we are incredibly appreciative of the support received from our donors and users, nonprofits, and funders. We hope this series will be enlightening and entertaining. Click here for other profiles. My name is Crystal Gouldey, Charity Navigator’s Senior Digital Marketing Manager since December 2021. My day-to-day role involves managing the digital marke ..read more

  Welcome to our Meet The Team series, where each month we will introduce a member of the Charity Navigator team to our readers. We are extremely honored to be a part of the nonprofit community where our footprint (and our ratings!) have expanded, and we are incredibly appreciative of the support received from our donors and users, nonprofits, and funders. We hope this series will be enlightening and entertaining. Click here for other profiles. “Choose a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life.” - Confucius Hello, I am Nancy Duncan, Vice President of Human Resources, and ..read more

Important: The comments presented below are those of Social Solutions and not Charity Navigator. The information does not serve as a direct guide to earning a Charity Navigator Impact & Results beacon within the Encompass Rating System. Donors want to support nonprofits and charities they know are making a difference. However, to illustrate your organization is making a difference, you need to showcase your data to demonstrate your full impact. As you probably know, this is easier said than done. Often, aggregating the correct data, quantifying it, presenting it thoroughly, and then shar ..read more