Smart Giving Matters

Measuring impact and efficiency

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 20:14:00 +0000

by Rich Cowles, Executive Director

The joint news release last month by Charity Navigator, Guidestar and others discouraging donors from using financial ratios to evaluate charities was welcome news. As an organization that has long tried to move donors away from preoccupation with the Program Expense ratio, the Charities Review Council applauds the release. We also fully agree with the assertion that nonprofits’ impact should be the primary criterion for giving decisions. Our newly updated standards that will be implemented 2nd quarter 2010 include a Community Impact standard and Monitoring Mission and Strategy standards.

The news release has triggered a flurry of posts in the nonprofit blogosphere affirming the importance of Impact, with some disparaging ratios as utterly useless. These comments have included the assertion that donors shouldn’t be concerned with how much it costs nonprofits to achieve their impact. If there were a limitless supply of donations, I would agree. But given donors’ legitimate desire to get the most bang for their contributed buck, they have a right to know about an organization’s efficiency in achieving its impact.

Highly flawed as it is, the Program expense ratio has been a widespread attempt to measure such efficiency. At best, it’s a surrogate until a better efficiency measure can be determined. Ultimately, “Impact per Dollar” is what we want to get to.

The sector is a long way from determining how to measure Impact per Dollar. But there’s an urgency to finding it; it should be an integral part of determining an accepted means of measuring impact. Donors do and should care about nonprofit efficiency. And nonprofits should too. We’re long past the day when nonprofits can expect donors to go for “just trust us.” And that’s a good thing.

Charities Meets Accountability Standards: Congratulations

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:41:00 +0000

Congratulations to the following charities that recently completed their Accountability Wizard reviews and have met the Council's Standards of Accountability:

American Refugee Committee
Books For Africa, Inc.
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud
Central Minnesota Community Foundation
Community Mediation Services, Inc
CornerHouse
Diversity Council
Family Hope Services, Inc. / TreeHouse
HFH of Douglas County, Minnesota, Inc.
Great Neighborhoods! Development Corporation
Hope Community Inc.
Jeremiah Program
Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis
Kinship of Greater Minneapolis
Latino Economic Development Center
Make-A-Wish Foundation of Minnesota
Mediation Services for Anoka County
Mental Health Association of Minnesota
Metro Meals on Wheels, Inc
Plan USA / Plan International USA Inc
People Serving People, Inc.
Phyllis Wheatley Community Center
Restorative Justice Community Action, Inc.
Reuben Lindh Family Services
Rochester Area Habitat for Humanity
Second Harvest Heartland
St. Stephen's Human Services
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (Minnesota Affiliate)
The Playwrights' Center
Tix for Tots
Union Gospel Mission Association of St. Paul
YMCA of Greater Saint Paul

Charities Meets Accountability Standards: Congratulations

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:14:00 +0000

Congratulations to the following charities that recently completed their Accountability Wizard reviews and have met the Council's Standards of Accountability:

Achieve! Mpls
Arc Midstate
Children’s HeartLink
eQuality – Pathways to Potential
Lakes Area Youth Service Bureau
Minnesota Children's Museum
Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Minnetonka Center for the Arts
Perspectives, Inc
Rum River Health Services
Simpson Housing Services Inc.

Announcing The New Preliminary Accountability Standards

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:27:00 +0000

For the last 12 years, the current Accountability Standards of the Charities Review Council have helped strengthen the nonprofit sector and to mobilize informed donors. But a lot has changed economically, demographically, legally, and socially during this period of time and the time had come to update and revise the standards to reflect this.

Over the past year, the Council’s Program Committee has led a process that brought together donors, institutional funders, academics, nonprofit leaders and community representatives to craft a fair set of standards that are sensitive to a wide variety of constituents and will further strengthen an already vital and indispensable nonprofit sector. A preliminary set of the new Accountability Standards were just unveiled last month at the Council’s Annual Forum and we are now embarking on a four-month public input phase to get more feedback before finalizing the new standards this fall.

These Standards are meant to help informed donors and accountable nonprofits, so your feedback is vital. Tell us what you think. We appreciate your comments and look forward to hearing from you!

Charities Review Council to update giving guidelines

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:34:00 +0000

Check out today's Star Tribune article "Charities Review Council to Update Giving Guidelines" featuring the Council's proposed new Accountability Standards to be unveiled next week at the Annual Forum.

Charities Meets Accountability Standards: Congratulations

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:26:00 +0000

Congratulations to the following charities that recently completed their Accountability Wizard reviews and have met the Council's Standards of Accountability:
Alliance Housing Inc

Bridging Inc

Rebuilding Together Twin Cities

Charities Meets Accountability Standards: Congratulations

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:58:00 +0000

Congratulations to the following charities that recently completed their Accountability Wizard reviews and have met the Council's Standards of Accountability:

African American AIDS Task Force

CommonBond Communities

Dodge Nature Center

Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness

Restart Inc

May Is Senior Citizen Month – Tips For Seniors On Charitable Giving And To Avoid Being Scammed

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Wed, 20 May 2009 16:20:00 +0000

According to the FBI, seniors who own their home, have excellent credit and have a “nest egg” of savings make excellent marks for thieves. Learn more about tips for seniors on charitable giving and how to avoid being scammed ... more

Charities Meet Accountability Standards: Congratulations

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:06:00 +0000

Congratulations to the following charities that recently completed their Accountability Wizard reviews and have met the Council's Standards of Accountability:

Asian Media Access

Christians Children's Fund

Faith's Lodge

Charities Meet Accountability Standards: Congratulations

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:46:00 +0000

Congratulations to the following charities that recently completed their Accountability Wizard reviews and have met the Council's Standards of Accountability:

Confidence Learning Center

Cookie Cart

Minnesota Council for Quality

Charities Meet Accountability Standards: Congratulations

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Fri, 01 May 2009 16:23:00 +0000

Congratulations to the following charities that recently completed their Accountability Wizard reviews and have met the Council's Standards of Accountability:

Minn. Home Ownership Center

United Way of Washington County - East
WATCH

Annual Forum: June 17, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:25:00 +0000

Don't miss this year's Annual Forum "Accountability: Now More Than Ever" featuring the unveiling of the Council’s new draft Accountability Standards, our Report to the Community and guest speaker, Phil Buchanan, president of Center for Effective Philanthropy.

Mr. Buchanan will address the need for foundation and nonprofit leaders to increase their effectiveness and become more accountable. Mr. Buchanan will also debunk some of the myths that still hold sway: that the key to nonprofit effectiveness lies in adopting “business” practices, that nonprofit performance cannot be defined or assessed, and that the sector lacks management talent.

Tickets are $50 each. Seats are limited. Register early.

Charities Meet Accountability Standards: Congratulations

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:18:00 +0000

Congratulations to the following charities that recently completed their Accountability Wizard reviews and have met the Council's Standards of Accountability:

Lakes Area Youth Service Bureau, Inc
The Link
YWCA of Minneapolis

Taxes and Charitable Giving I.Q. Quiz

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:51:00 +0000

Tomorrow is tax day. Test yourself in this fun quiz about taxes and charitable giving.

Charity Meets Accountability Standards: Congratulations

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:42:00 +0000

Congratulations to Miracles of Mitch Foundation for completing its Accountability Wizard review and meeting the Council's Standards of Accountability.

Charity Meets Accountability Standards: Congratulations

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:45:00 +0000

Congratulations to Carmen Pampa Fund for completing its Accountability Wizard review and meeting the Council's Standards of Accountability.

Charities Meet Accountability Standards: Congratulations

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:53:00 +0000

Congratulations to the following charities that recently completed their Accountability Wizard reviews and have met the Council's Standards of Accountability:

Lifetrack Resources, Inc

Minnesota Council on Economic Education

Mississippi River Fund

Minnesota Literacy Council, Inc

Giving and Taxes

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:49:00 +0000

It’s that time of year once again – time to file our taxes. If you made charitable donations last year, don’t forget the tax advantages provided under law to encourage charitable giving. Learn more about taxes and giving ... more

Charity Meets Accountability Standards: Congratulations

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:28:00 +0000

Congratulations to Feed My Starving Children for completing its Accountability Wizard review and meeting the Council's Standards of Accountability.

GIVING IN TIMES OF DISASTERS: Red River Flooding

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 17:58:00 +0000

As rising water levels, flooding and evacuation plans consume Fargo and other cities located along the Red River Valley, plans already are underway to help provide much-needed relief and support in the days and months ahead. When disaster strikes and needs are of a critical, urgent nature - what are the best and safest ways to help make the greatest difference to those in need ... more

Charity Meets Accountability Standards: Congratulations

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:38:00 +0000

Congratulations to Helping Hands Outreach to Elders, Inc for completing its Accountability Wizard review and meeting the Council's Standards of Accountability.

Twittering

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:27:00 +0000

The Charities Review Council has joined twitterverse. Hope you'll follow along: http://twitter.com/smartgivers

Charities Meet Accountability Standards: Congratulations

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:43:00 +0000

Congratulations to the following charities that recently completed their Accountability Wizard reviews and have met the Council's Standards of Accountability:

Twin Cities RISE!

Caring Rivers United Way

Charities Meet Accountability Standards: Congratulations

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:22:00 +0000

Congratulations to the following charities that recently completed their Accountability Wizard reviews and have met the Council's Standards of Accountability.

The Children's Theatre Company

Community Involvement Programs

National Kidney Foundation

Rochester Neighborhood Resource Center

SteppingStone Theatre

What's your giving I.Q.?

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:04:00 +0000

What's your giving I.Q.? Test your knowledge about youth philanthrophy, tax-exempt organizations and more in this interactive giving I.Q. quiz.