One Back

For those concerned about how their charity dollars are used, The American Institue of Philanthropy (AIP) provides a way to evaluate your favorite charity’s efficiency.  Their mission statement is succinct:

 ”The mission of the American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP), a nonprofit charity watchdog and information service, is to maximize the effectiveness of every dollar contributed to charity by providing donors with the information they need to make more informed giving decisions.”

 The American Institute of Philanthropy’s “Top Rated” charities provide a nice snapshot of organizations meeting their evaluation criteria:

“The mission categories below list charities which get high grades from AIP for putting 75% or more towards program cost while generally spending $25 or less to raise $100. These groups also receive an “open book” credit from AIP for willingly sending the financial documents we request.”

Their page of “top-rated” charities is quite useful, reflecting those charities receiving grades of A+ through B.   They also rate charities with C, D and F grades within their Charity Rating Guide.  The guide is basically free, they simply ask for $3.00 postage and handling. You can find the address via the link above.

 What I really appreciate about AIP is that they provide an essential service that is often lacking in the non-profit sector.  Many non-profits have little oversight and reporting requirements, and do not always provide clarity regarding how donor money is used.  AIP provides a way to gain a clearer perspective with an objective process for evaluation.  The site is quite useful, and provides links to all charities listed.

Filed under: Evaluation