Madison, Wis. (September 10, 2015) – United Way of Dane County received the prestigious 4-star rating by Charity Navigator, the largest charity evaluator in the country. The 4-star rating is Charity Navigator’s top rating and only awarded to the most fiscally responsible organizations in the United States.
United Way of Dane County scored 100% in Charity Navigator’s categories of Accountability and Transparency and 90% in Financial Performance, leading to an overall score of 93%. This is the fifth year in a row United Way has received this 4-star rating.
“United Way of Dane County’s 4-star rating puts it in a very select group of high-performing charities,” said Michael Thatcher, President and CEO of Charity Navigator. “Only one out of four non-profits earns a 4-star rating – a rating that demands rigor, responsibility and commitment to openness.”
Charity Navigator investigates more than 8,000 charities to determine which have the “best practices” that minimize the chance of unethical activities and whether non-profits share information about their organizations with their donors and other stakeholders.
“Charity Navigator’s 4-star rating reaffirms our drive to remain open and transparent with Dane County,” said Rich Lynch, chairman of United Way of Dane County’s Board of Directors. “We are committed to investing 86 cents out of every donated dollar back into our community to achieve measurable results and change lives.”
About Charity Navigator:
Charity Navigator is a 501 (c)(3) public charity that evaluates the financial health, accountability and transparency of charities across the country. Charity Navigator neither accepts advertising or donations from the organizations it evaluates, nor does it charge the public for this data. To learn more, visit www.charitynavigator.org.
About United Way of Dane County:
United Way of Dane County addresses the underlying causes of community issues through our community’s Agenda for Change—six goals focused on three priority areas of Education, Income and Health that our community identified as most critical to changing lives and strengthening Dane County. Through strategic partnerships and collaborative work, we are achieving measurable results toward making our community better educated, healthier and more equitable. United Way provides organizations and individuals the opportunity to give, advocate and volunteer to change the human condition in Dane County.