ANNUAL REPORT

FISCAL YEAR 2023

Mission:
Make impactful giving
easier for all.
Reflections From Our President
& Chief Executive Officer

2023 marked a significant milestone for Charity Navigator — our

20th anniversary. We celebrated two decades of service to the
philanthropic community with a major brand refresh and the
launch of a new website designed to turn donor intent into action.
Unifying our rating systems has further streamlined how we
evaluate and present impactful charities, ensuring you have the
information needed to make informed decisions.

As we reflect on the fiscal year 2023, it’s evident that our world has
navigated through a constellation of significant challenges and
opportunities. From the ongoing war in Ukraine to extreme weather events to unprecedented
advancements in technology, our global landscape continues to evolve dramatically.

Yet, amidst these challenges, there lies a beacon of hope and resilience—Charity Navigator
and our community of committed supporters like you. This past year, 9.9 million donors
turned to our platform to support the causes close to their hearts.

It’s particularly heartening to share that our community directed over $39 million to 26,300
charities through our Giving Basket. Donors’ swift and generous responses also extended to
addressing urgent needs like the war in Ukraine and natural disasters, demonstrating the
profound impact of collective action.

Looking ahead, our team remains dedicated to making impactful giving easier for everyone.
As we navigate the complexities of our global landscape, our focus will continue to be on
empowering you to support the causes you care about most effectively and meaningfully.

Thank you for your trust and support, and for being a part of our journey. Together, we are
shaping a future where generosity and informed giving create lasting change.

Warm regards,

Michael Thatcher
President & CEO, Charity Navigator $39M
TO 26,300 CHARITIES

Charity Navigator • 2023 Annual Report • 2

 GUIDING STARS:
The Origin and
Evolution of
Charity Navigator
At our 20th anniversary
celebration, Pat and Marion
Dugan were honored for their
groundbreaking contributions to
the world of charitable giving. Their son, Pete Dugan, spoke at the event,
sharing heartfelt stories about his parents’ legacy and the profound
CELEBRATING impact their vision has made on him and his children–creating three
generations of Dugans dedicated to philanthropy. He highlighted how
20 YEARS OF his children have greatly benefited from learning about generosity from
INFORMED GIVING their grandparents. Pete emphasized that Charity Navigator has been
an integral part of their lives, from being used as an educational tool in
On December 1, 2022, we schools to inspiring his kids to volunteer, giving them valuable insights
marked two decades of giving into the hard work charities do.
guidance with a special
Pat’s success is a true American dream. He grew up in a working-class
event, featuring insightful and
family from Staten Island where his father worked as a plumber for the
inspiring discussions with high-
New York City Water Department. Growing up, college was never in the
impact charities, renowned
cards for Pat–he didn’t have the grades or money for college. That was
philanthropists, and entertainers.
until the Dean of Wagner College, a fellow Staten Islander, offered him
Hosted by Matt Giegerich, a
admission and a scholarship. He took the opportunity and ran with it–
pivotal figure in our founding
doing more with that opportunity than he ever imagined. Pat went on to
and a former Board Chair, the
a successful career in pharmaceutical marketing including launching his
event utilized The Inception
own business.
Company’s Pando™ wall
technology to engage both in- Pat and Marion’s journey to founding Charity Navigator began when
person and remote attendees. Pat’s business went public and doubled in value–they became multi-
Matt encouraged the audience millionaires overnight. Despite not coming from wealth, they were
to donate through the Giving determined to put their newfound fortune to good use. Frustrated by the
Basket. Each dollar raised up lack of reliable information about charities, they envisioned a platform
to $50,000 was matched with that would provide clear, objective evaluations to help donors make
a donation of a toy to a child informed decisions–all without charging nonprofits for their ratings. This
in need. The event successfully vision materialized into Charity Navigator, which has grown beyond what
raised over $75,000 and the Dugans initially imagined possible to become the nation’s largest
benefited more than and most utilized evaluator of nonprofits.
300 charities.
Reflecting on his achievements, Pat often shares that, out of all the things
he has done, he is most proud of Charity Navigator and its impact. Pat
and Marion’s legacy continues to inspire their family and the broader
community, ensuring that their values of trust and accountability in
nonprofits endure for generations.

Charity Navigator • 2023 Annual Report • 3

 What Your Support Made Possible This Year

CHARITIES RATED:
Number of charities scored on each beacon:

209K+
charities rated 2,204 209,155 17,944 8,095
Number of additional
charities rated:

19,000+ scored on
Impact &
scored on
Accountability
scored on
Culture &
scored on
Leadership &
Results & Finance Community Adaptability

ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN

RENAMED ALERTS 239 NEW
ALERTS
issued and 283
For more than a decade, we have provided alerts updated.
information about reported, alleged, or
confirmed misconduct, or other questionable The Giving Basket empowers
practices, to donors as a supplement to our ratings. In fiscal year donors to support multiple
2023, we evolved advisories into alerts to provide greater nuance, charities in one convenient
clarity, and transparency. checkout while controlling how
much information they share with
Alerts can be seen on our search results and profile pages—they each organization. In fiscal year
now appear as four bell icons that indicate levels of concern. 2023, 52,105 donors supported
26,300 charities with $39,277,995
REVIEW BEFORE PROCEEDING: Concerns from credible in donations.
media sources about the organization without significant
legal investigation.

PROCEED WITH CAUTION: These matters of concern are

NEW STAFF
associated with a significant legal action or investigation that
has yet to be proven. We hired 11 new employees. This
increased our small but mighty
PROCEED WITH INCREASED CAUTION: The matters of team to 37 employees, working
concern are confirmed through the U.S. legal or
to advance the ratings and
regulatory systems.
resources you depend on.
GIVING NOT RECOMMENDED: Reserved for organizations
confirmed to have engaged in substantial fraud or
misrepresentation, leading to dissolution or legal action.

Charity Navigator • 2023 Annual Report • 4

 What Your Support Made Possible This Year

NEW, AWARD-WINNING
WEBSITE AND BRAND
In November 2022, we unveiled a new
website with a refreshed brand, designed
to better assist donors in finding and
supporting the causes closest to their
hearts. This enhanced platform features
a powerful, reinvented search experience
where donors can either search by charity
name or browse by cause area, applying
filters to connect with highly rated charities
that match their passions and values. Beyond facilitating
research and donations, the updated website now also
supports broader charitable activities, including volunteering,
joining giving circles, and planning for future charitable
legacies, empowering donors to engage more deeply with
their philanthropy.

This new website won an Anthem Award in the Best Product, Innovation, or Service category for Responsible
Technology. Our submission, “Democratizing Trustworthy Charitable Giving Via Smart Searching, Ratings,
and Scam Prevention Resources,” is a Bronze award recipient for a Responsible Technology campaign, which
highlights the new website with a robust search engine and expanded rating system that shines a light on a
charity’s cost-effectiveness, overall health, and provides resources for giving safely and effectively.

RATING UNIFICATION
In November 2022, as a part of the launch of our new website, we
unified our two distinct rating systems into a cohesive framework.
Introduced in 2020, the Encompass Rating System expanded
upon the original Star Rating System by offering a more holistic
view of a nonprofit’s operations beyond just financial metrics.
Impact & Results Accountability & Finance Encompass includes four key areas or ‘beacons’: Accountability &
Finance, Impact & Results, Leadership & Adaptability, and Culture
& Community

This integration streamlined the evaluation process, combining

the strengths of both systems to provide comprehensive insights
into hundreds of thousands of charities, thereby helping donors
Leadership & Adaptability Culture & Community
make informed decisions based on a broader spectrum of
organizational effectiveness.
Encompass Rating System

Charity Navigator • 2023 Annual Report • 5

 Curated Give Now Lists
Our analysts responded to various current events and crises by curating lists of highly rated charities
supporting disaster relief and recovery. Below are the most popular Give Now Lists over the past 12 months:

Crisis in Ukraine Hurricane Fiona Hurricane Ian

$4,341,857 RAISED $1,808,720 RAISED $3,127,607 RAISED

12,894 DONORS 6,575 DONORS 11,159 DONORS

Gun Violence California Floods Earthquakes in Syria & Turkey

$377,474 RAISED $403,393 RAISED $2,454,503 RAISED

1,898 DONORS 2,189 DONORS 11,747 DONORS

Charity Navigator in the Press

7,290+
MEDIA In fiscal year 2023, we achieved 7,290+ media mentions with a potential reach of
MENTIONS 21+ billion total impressions. Crisis events like the Turkey-Syria earthquakes and
hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico dominated the media’s interest, and we’re proud to
say we remained a trustworthy resource for journalists in these times of crisis.

Turkey-Syria How to Avoid Revamped Thinking About How to

Earthquake: Being Scammed Charity Navigator the Best Way to Help Those
Want to Help? Vet When You Want Scoring Will Give to Charity? Affected by
Charities Before to Donate to Push for More Here’s Where Hurricane
You Donate a Charity Transparency to Start Ian

Charity Navigator • 2023 Annual Report • 6

 Financial Health

REVENUE STREAMS

72.18% Individuals............................$4,438,354
Foundations............................. $919,679
8.41% 14.96% Donated Goods & Services.....$517,207
2.26% Investments ............................. $139,002
1.97% Board of Directors ................. $120,956
0.22% Data Sales .................................. $13,672

Total Contributions in FY2023:

$5,996,196

BREAKDOWN OF EXPENSES
$7,064,291
Programs 79.72%
$844,390
Fundraising 9.53%
$952,587
Administration 10.75%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Total Expenses in FY2023 . . . . . . . . . $8,861,268

Reserves in FY2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8,778,145

Source: Charity Navigator Financial Statements with Independent Auditor’s Report - Year Ended June 2023 and 2022

Charity Navigator • 2023 Annual Report • 7

 Our Board Of Directors
Our Board of Directors oversees Charity Navigator’s progress toward its mission while ensuring
the team has the necessary resources to continue to serve the nonprofit and donor communities.

Marie Wieck Dorothy Crenshaw Beth Smith

Chair of the Board CEO GM, Cloud and Cognitive Software
Technology Executive Crenshaw Communications IBM
Cold Spring, NY New York, NY Yorktown, NY

Michael Cooney Michael Dix Michael Thatcher

Vice Chair Founder & CEO President and
Partner Intentional Futures Chief Executive Officer
Nixon Peabody, LLP Seattle, WA Charity Navigator
Washington, D.C. New York, NY
Esther Dyson
Cheryl Black Executive Founder Nageeb Sumar
Treasurer Wellville Head of Social Impact and
Managing Director New York, NY Investments
J.P. Morgan Private Bank Fidelity Investments
New York, NY Shannon McCracken
Chief Executive Jerry Webman
Hope Lyons The Nonprofit Alliance New York, NY
Secretary Washington, D.C.
Principal Dan Weiss
Operationalizing Mission, LLC Rhoden Monrose New York, NY
New York, NY Founder & CEO
CariClub
New York, NY

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

@CharityNavigator @CharityNav @CharityNav @CharityNavigator Charity Navigator

299 Market Street, Suite 250 • Saddle Brook, NJ 07663 • [email protected]

Charity Navigator • 2023 Annual Report • 8