President & CEO's Report for November
November 1, 2009
The holiday season is fast upon us and our web traffic is up significantly. We believe this reflects the growing trend of donors to demand independent and objective data to assist them in making their decisions regarding supporting a charity.
I am amazed when experts and charity leaders question whether or not donors/social investors care whether or not a nonprofit is having any meaningful impact. As a result, when asked to write an essay on the subject for McKinsey & Company, I turned the tables on the “thought leaders”. You can read the essay here.
For the first time in our history, we contributed input and were listed in the credits for a new book – Spirit of Service. The book was developed to assist people in responding to President Obama’s call to service – a call that touches the core of the American spirit, going back to the origins of our country. We see the book as an opportunity for people to renew and expand their horizons in volunteering and donating to charity, as well as a place to begin for those new to the spirit of service. The book lists about 500 public charities and other organizations with a brief summary of what they do. In keeping with our mission at Charity Navigator, we wrote a brief advisory on due diligence for the reader to use while considering charities listed there. You can read the advice here.
One of the most frequent requests for our opinion is on the matter of executive compensation. For those of you who are active users of our information and services, you have probably read our advice before. However, if you would like to read more on the subject, I recommend the transcript of an online discussion regarding executive pay that was coordinated by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. You can access the transcript here.
Since my next report will be in early December, let me be the first to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!
All the best,
Ken Berger
