Watchdog Group Adopts Change in Rating System

The watchdog group Charity Navigator revamped its ratings system this week as part of a plan to move beyond evaluating charities based solely on their financial performance.

The website now places equal weight on a charity’s governance and openness about its operations as it does on financial information.

Ken Berger, Charity Navigator’s president, said the new system would give donors a clearer picture of how charities are managed and nudge nonprofits toward improving their governance practices.