The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015 17 T he start of a new year is a good time to reassess our charitable giving. With the thousands of charities operating in the United States, the task of choosing a worthy cause can be daunting. Most peo- ple don’t have time or inclination to scour through a charity’s website to find overhead numbers, expense breakdowns, annual revenue or CEO salaries—yet we value charities that are transparent and clear about their mission and how they plan to accomplish it. There are thousands of small charities scattered throughout the country. Is anyone keeping track of their performance? Since 2001, Charity Navigator (Charitynavi gator.org ) has been keeping donors, and potential donors, informed. The site aims to “advance a more eªcient and responsive philanthropic marketplace, in which givers and the charities they support work in tandem.” The site evaluates a charity’s performance with a rating system that examines the charity’s financial health, account- ability and transparency. The ratings evaluate eªciency with donor funds, sustainability of the program and service over time, and how open it is with information. These ratings can help people make informed decisions about donating to all types of charities, large and small and in numerous catego- ries. The Top 10 lists include “10 Charities Expanding in a Hurry,”“10 CharitiesWorthWatching,” and “10 Charities in Deep Financial Trouble.” Charity Navigator only evaluates organizations that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, have been in existence for at least seven years and are SITE OF THE MONTH: Charity Navigator “Faces of Diplomacy” Exhibit at the State Department. AFSA/Lindsey Botts e U.S. Diplomacy Center’s aim is to highlight the achievements and role of the Foreign Service, Civil Service and other colleagues contributing to this work, as well as promote understanding of the chal- lenges they face. e November exhibit invited visi- tors to take an in-depth look at howU.S. diplomacy a ects our everyday lives. We learn about individuals, what they do and how they work tomove U.S. foreign policy forward. based in the United States. The site assesses a charity’s financial information based on its IRS 990 forms. A charity will receive a high score (4 out of 4 stars) if it is deemed financially eªcient, spends less money to raise more and devotes the majority of its spending to the programs and services it exists to provide. The site also assesses transparency, which it defines as “an obligation or willingness by a charity to explain its actions to its stakeholders and publish critical data about the organization,” by performing a comprehensive review of the charity’s website and IRS forms. Charities that are completely transparent are more likely to act with integ- rity and strive to accomplish their mission and are unlikely to mismanage donations or engage in other unethical practices. Last year alone, the site was visited approximately seven million times. As a tool for those interested in the nonprofit sector, this website is an excellent resource. The comprehensive analyses of a multitude of charities the site provides allow donors to select worthy causes. Through Charity Navigator ’s work, millions of people can funnel their donations to high-performing, reputable organiza- tions and thereby help to solve the world’s most pressing problems more quickly. —Trevor Smith, FSJ Editorial Intern e exhibit adds a human aspect to what is, for many Americans, a mysterious world. n —Lindsey Botts, Labor Management Executive Assistant