Do you ever wonder if the nonprofit you donate to is responsible with the funds you give? Ever wonder the actual impact being made with your donation?
As a whole, we need to give with a cheerful and grateful heart. However, there is also value in making sure the nonprofit organizations you give to are being good stewards.
How can you check into this? Below are two simple steps I follow when doing my due diligence on a nonprofit.
Charity Navigator
This site creates ratings based on various data points to see which charities are trustworthy. It’s a great resource that can be accessed at https://www.charitynavigator.org/. They look into the financial health of an entity by dissecting the IRS form 990 and checking it against seven key areas. On top of that, they look into the accountability and transparency of a company by learning if the nonprofit follows several best practices and ethics.
Impact per dollar donated
Good nonprofit organizations will keep a close track of many key data points. This allows them to let their donor base know how much impact is being made per dollar donated. Some charities are more efficient than others. And some make a larger impact in areas you’re passionate about. Looking at the nonprofit website or asking them how much impact is made per dollar donated is a great way to understand more about their stewardship.
Some business owners get frustrated with the barrage of phone calls and emails they field from nonprofits asking for money. I don’t. I consider it a blessing. How neat is it that we are in a position to give? SO COOL!
At Stewardship, we give to many charities. One of these is Mid-West Food Bank of Arizona. They are one of the highest rated organizations on charity navigator with a score of 94.69 out of 100. They also have a full 4-star rating! They boast an impact stat of every $1 donated equals almost $100 worth of food given to someone in need for free. In addition, they are all about creating a great place for people to serve. No matter your age or ability, they will make a way for you to get involved.
Recently the Stewardship team took a long lunch to serve. Check out these pictures of our team having a great time serving together!
