Washington, D.C. — Charity Navigator, a leading evaluator of U.S-based philanthropic organizations, gave Africare its top rating - 4-stars – on Sunday April 1. The on-line charity watchdog monitors and evaluates the fiscal performance of more than 5000 thousand organizations each year. Less than a quarter of those organizations receive a four-star rating, making Africare one of the top fiscally managed nonprofit organizations in the country according to statistics provided by the U.S. government.
"People know that when they give to Africare, they're investing directly in programs that reach the people of Africa," noted Africare President Julius E. Coles. "It's an honor to be recognized by an organization whose mission is to educate the public about how charities are spending their money, and where that money is going."
Charity Navigator is among the leading "charity watchdog" organizations delivering accurate and detailed evaluations to donors about the organizations they support. Founded in 2001, it serves as an on-line source for unbiased reporting on U.S. charities at no charge to the donor or the charity.
Evaluations are based on financial information (Form 990) provided annually by the charities to the IRS. Upon assessment, each charity is ranked on a scale of 0 to 4 stars. Zero representing "Exceptionally Poor" performance and four, denoting "Exceptional" performance. Charity Navigator makes their ratings based on a series of analytical reports they run using the IRS data, and than posts the results on-line for public viewing.
According to these statistics, 93.5 cents of every dollar spent by Africare during the 2006 fiscal year went to program related expenses-- that's more than $37 million dollars dedicated to development work and humanitarian aid—in comparison to the 85 cents on the dollar averaged by Africare's Peer charities.
"Our mission is to improve the quality of life for the people in Africa," noted Coles. "That work, in part, begins with a fiscal obligation—an obligation to individuals making a donation, and an obligation to the individuals who receive aid from that donation. Africare understands the importance of this obligation, and works every day to ensure that program dollars remain high in order for our work to have the greatest impact."
Africare began its work on the African continent in 1970 in response to a severe drought and wide-spread food crisis within several countries in West Africa. Initially, program work focused on relief efforts, but as conditions improved, Africare's work expanded into rural development.
Today, Africare programs range from initiatives in food security and agriculture to health and HIV-AIDS. Over its 37-year history, Africare has delivered more than $592 million in assistance through more than 2,000 projects to 36 countries Africa-wide.
To learn more about Africare and its individual projects, visit www.africare.org
To view Africare's standing on Charity Navigator, visit: http://www.charitynavigator.org/
