Charity Navigator, America’s largest and most-utilized independent evaluator of charities, has awarded the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (Meso Foundation) the prestigious 4-star rating for good governance, sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency. The Meso Foundation is currently the only mesothelioma charity in the United States with such a rating.
Since 2002, Charity Navigator has awarded only the most fiscally responsible organizations a 4-star rating. The Accountability & Transparency metrics, which account for 50 percent of a charity’s overall rating, reveal which charities have “best practices” that minimize the chance of unethical activities and whether they freely share basic information about their organization with their donors and other stakeholders.
“In the field of mesothelioma, it is sometimes difficult to ascertain which organizations are actual charities and which ones merely serve the purpose of marketing legal services,” said Mary Hesdorffer, NP, the executive director of the Meso Foundation. “Our 4-star Charity Navigator rating demonstrates to our supporters that we take our fiduciary and governance responsibilities very seriously and that we are an ethical charity working hard to fulfill its mission to find a cure for mesothelioma and end the suffering caused by it.”
The Meso Foundation’s coveted 4-star rating puts it in a very select group of high-performing charities,” according to Ken Berger, President and CEO, Charity Navigator. “Out of the thousands of nonprofits Charity Navigator evaluates, only one out of four earns 4 stars — a rating that, now, with our new Accountability and Transparency metrics, demands even greater rigor, responsibility and commitment to openness. The Meso Foundation’s supporters should feel much more confident that their hard-earned dollars are being used efficiently and responsibly when it acquires such a high rating.”
The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation’s rating and other information about charitable giving are available free of charge on http://www.charitynavigator.org.
