Conference Roundup: Rating Charities

Nonprofit professionals say charity watchdog groups like Charity Navigator, which aim to ensure nonprofits are financially responsible, don’t give donors a clear picture of an organization’s effectiveness.

Watchdog groups look at an organization’s tax records (the 990 form) and little else in determining its rating, said John Melia, founder and executive director of the Wounded Warrior Project, the Jacksonville, Fla.-based organization that provides programs and services to severely injured service members during the time between active duty and transition to civilian life.