Giving with Confidence: The 2026 Enhanced Encompass Rating System

For over 25 years, Charity Navigator has been the cornerstone of charity evaluation. This Spring, we are introducing our most significant evolution yet: a 360-degree view of charity impact and effectiveness.

The world of giving has changed, and donors are looking for more than just financial ratios. Our upgraded system allows you to cut through the noise and support charities that are not only financially healthy but also deeply impactful and transparent.

What's New? A Holistic View of Excellence

The enhanced system moves beyond basic financial metrics to evaluate a charity’s "whole health." We now analyze 49 individual metrics across 10 robust evaluation areas. These are organized into four "Beacons" that tell the full story of an organization.

1. Accountability & Finance: Ensuring funds are handled ethically and efficiently.
2. Impact & Measurement: Providing insights into the actual quality and results of a program.
3. Leadership & Planning: Assessing how an organization strategizes for long-term success.
4. Culture & Compensation: Evaluating internal fairness and workplace policies.

Transparency You Can See

Transparency matters. We’ve added Complete Profile Banners and Beacon Indicators so you know exactly how much data is behind every star rating.

• Complete Profile Banner: When you see the "Complete Profile" banner, it means the organization has submitted all required assessments and is fully transparent about its work.
• Beacon Indicators: New visual cues (like "3 of 4 beacons complete") show what areas are missing from evaluation, eliminating guesswork.

Precision Over Simplification

Our system is built for precision. Metrics are rigorously validated and recalibrated based on evidence, so that our ratings accurately reflect effectiveness and provide a clear distinction between charities.

Impact: The Full Story

Historically, impact data was difficult to capture for nonprofits outside of direct-service work. Our new and improved Impact Assessment changes that.

• More impact ratings. As we scale, more and more charities across different areas will have impact scores to guide decision-making.
• Success Stories. We now incorporate qualitative success stories alongside raw data, giving you a narrative look at how lives are being changed.

Frequently Asked Questions for Donors

Is the 4-Star rating changing? No. The 0-4 star system remains the ultimate mark of excellence. However, a 4-star rating is now backed by even more rigorous, research-based data.
 

Where does the data come from? We combine public IRS Form 990 data with data submitted directly by the nonprofits through our secure portal.
 

What does "Unscored" mean? These represent areas of evaluation where current data is insufficient to provide a reliable rating. Rather than guessing, we leave these metrics unscored until we have enough information to meet our reporting standards.
 

What does "Additional Information" mean? Additional Information represents data points that donors find valuable but don't yet factor into our formal scores. We include this for context, while acknowledging that certain organizational nuances or emerging evidence are too complex to capture in a single metric.
 

What if a charity is "unrated"? A charity may be listed but not rated if it is less than 3 years old, has revenue less than $200,000, and thus files a simplified tax form, or hasn't filed for three years in a row. Without this, we can’t make an accurate determination.