Financials
Charity Navigator was originally funded by the New York philanthropists, John and Marion Dugan, who believed that an unbiased charity evaluator needed to be created to help benevolent citizens make informed giving decisions. Since the Dugans were Charity Navigator's sole funders, we were required to register with the IRS as a private foundation. This designation differs from the public charities that Charity Navigator evaluates, which have a broad-base of financial support from the general public. The IRS requires that private foundations file a Form 990-PF, which is different from the document public charities file. This makes it impossible for us to compare the financial performance of private foundations, like Charity Navigator, to public charities.
However, in an effort to expand our capacity to (1) evaluate more charities, (2) add new dimensions to our rating system and (3) hold ourselves to the same standards as public charities, we have (among other things) filed to qualify as a public charity (we must fully transition by November 2012). To accomplish all of this we will need to diversify our funding base. Therefore, Charity Navigator now welcomes and is actively seeking contributions from foundations, corporations, and individuals. If you think that we provide a valuable service to the American public and wish to support our work, please click here. We are a federally-recognized 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization and donations to us are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. We encourage you to learn more about our finances by reviewing the links below.
- Charity Navigator Forms 990-PF
- Audited Financial Statements - FYE 2008
