Charity Navigator

Overview

Mission

Charity Navigator helps millions of people take action and support the causes they care about by connecting them to the best charities that align with their passions and values. Our mission is to make impactful giving easier for all Since 2001, we’ve empowered millions of donors by providing free access to data, tools and resources to guide philanthropic decision-making. With more than 225,000 charities rated, our comprehensive ratings shine a light on the cost-effectiveness and overall health of a charity’s programs, including measures of stability, efficiency and sustainability. The metrics inform donors of not just where their dollars are going but what their dollars are doing.

What it reported doing in 2024

Charity Ratings - Charity Navigator aims to make impactful giving easier for all.Since 2001, it has been empowering millions of donors by providing them free access to data, tools, and resources to guide philanthropic decision-making. The ratings provide nonprofits with the sector's premier trust indicator and a powerful platform to raise awareness and funds.As of June 30, 2025, Charity Navigator's database includes more than 1.6 million U.S. registered nonprofits, with over 242,561 nonprofits evaluated through the Encompass Rating System. The Encompass Rating System, launched in July 2020, provides donors with comprehensive evaluations of the total impact of nonprofits rated via four Beacons: Finance & Accountability (242,119), Impact & Measurement (7,925), Leadership & Adaptability (13,305), and Culture & Community (19,387). In 2024, Charity Navigator created or updated more than 50 curated lists of recommended charities, leveraging its deep expertise in assessing charity performance. These lists cover a broad range of issues, from responses to crises to specific cause-based recommendations, helping donors find organizations aligned with their values.Additionally, in the Fall of 2024, Charity Navigator launched Causeway, an innovative new offering. Causeway features collections of highly effective, top-rated charities focused on driving significant change for particular issues. These collections include dedicated funds addressing major challenges such as global poverty, climate change, hunger, and homelessness.More than 8 million donors accessing Charity Navigator each year give with confidence, knowing which organizations are highly rated, trustworthy, and impactful. While the organization has a large footprint and an established, trusted brand, the team of approximately 40 considers itself small but mighty.Between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025, site visitors donated $50,000,000+ to over 26,000 nonprofits through Charity Navigator's Giving Basket.Like the nonprofits it rates, Charity Navigator is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, too. It doesn't charge the organizations it evaluates, ensuring its ratings remain objective. In turn, it depends on the generosity of individuals, foundations, and corporations to fund its programs.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 97% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
134148824
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2024
Headquarters
Union City, NJ, USA
Phone
2018181288
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Support N.E.C.
Affiliation
Judaism

Official website

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 71
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 32
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 79.4%; rating input score 79
  • Program expense ratio: 74.2%; rating input score 74
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.94 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 6 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -2.9%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.15; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 23.7%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 14.4% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 11.3% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 12.1% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: Mission, programs, and operating context captured from the official website.
  • Where the money goes: 79.4% of revenue deployed · 74.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $5.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $346K · 26 people listed · 6 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $928K reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 11 annual filings from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 11 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Leadership & pay

26 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Michael Thatcher (President & CEO): $345,833 total reported compensation
  • Donald Boulia (Chief Product & Technology Officer): $235,540 total reported compensation
  • Laura Andes (Chief Program & Operating Officer): $205,689 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.