Studies slam charity watchdogs’ ratings

Two studies commissioned by the Direct Marketing Association Nonprofit Federation say watchdog groups' ratings of charities suffer from big flaws that could do big damage to charities. In response, chief executives of three watchdogs cited in the research papers, which they say they have not seen, say their groups provide a critical service in holding charities accountable. One study, by George E. Mitchell, research assistant with the Transnational NGO Initiative at the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs at Syracuse University, says the three big watchdog agencies providing ratings that are widely seen as measures of organizational effectiveness or accountability