Is Your Nonprofit Making the Most of Available Web Resources to Enhance Your Profile?
Published:
by Amanda Meko, CPA | Partner, Director of Audit & Other Assurance Services and Team Leader of the Not-for-Profit Services Group
What type of research do you perform before making a significant purchase? You may compare the product youre considering with similar products online to evaluate price and features. You likely will read reviews of other individuals who purchased the products. You may even seek out the opinion of a friend or family member. Your donors may also be performing similar research on your organization before choosing to give. Most organizations have invested in a website, but may not have considered other web resources that donors are using to research prospective charities. The following highlights some of those resources and how you can maximize them.
GuideStar — www.guidestar.org: Even if you are not aware of GuideStar, chances are your organization already has a profile available on this website. If you filed a 990 or 990ez within the last three years, they are displayed for public viewing on this website. Guidestar offers organizations a free opportunity to add a significant amount of information to their profile. A newer feature, GuideStar Exchange, gives organizations an opportunity to earn the Guidestar exchange seal on their Guidestar page as well as on their website. To qualify for the Exchange Seal, an organization must submit a significant amount of information including, audited financial statements, a budget, CEO and Senior Management names and contact information. In addition, organizations can submit logos, photos and videos, funding and volunteers needs statements, policies such as whistle blower, document retention and a wealth of other information. Guidestar also offers visitors an opportunity to write reviews on non-profits right on the website.
GreatNonprofits — www.greatnonprofits.org: The GreatNonprofits website offers tools for telling your organizations story through those who know you well. By incorporating reviews from your clients and volunteers, donors can use the experiences of others to help guide them in making their gift decisions. GreatNonprofits offers a badge that allows visitors to see your reviews and post their own, straight from your website. This resource is free.
Charity Navigator — www.charitynavigator.org: Charity Navigator is an independent charity evaluator that rates charities on a basis of one to four stars. Charity Navigator considers financial performance metrics such as fundraising efficiency, working capital ratio, and percentage of program expenses. In addition accountability and transparency performance metrics are also considered including independence of board members, annual audit, conflict of interest policy, and information provided on an organizations website such as audited financials, 990, and Board list. Not all charities are rated on this site. However, charities should know if they are and what their rating is. If you are not satisfied with your rating, the site offers suggestions on information you can provide to improve your rating. Charities not yet rated can also request to be rated by the site.
BBB Wise Giving Alliance — www.bbb.org/us/charity: BBB Wise Giving Alliance offers a seal program as well that allows approved organizations to display the seal on website, on direct mail solicitations, annual reports, advertisements and many other ways. However, this seal program is not free. Fees are charged on a sliding scale ranging from $1,000 for organizations with $1 million of contribution revenue up to $15,000 for organizations with more than $100 million of contributions revenue.