Release Notes

View the improvements made to Charity Navigator's website, rating criteria, and methodology.

Version 21

*Ratings updated 2/4/2025

*Ratings updated 11/15/2024 & 12/15/2024

*Ratings updated 8/1/2024 with a methodology update

*Ratings updated 4/8/2024 with a methodology update

Consistent Feedback Scoring Methodology was modified as follows:
- If an organization answered “no” to Question 1, “Does your organization collect feedback (i.e., perceptions, opinions, concerns) from the people meant to benefit from your mission ultimately?” of the How We Listen Survey, they are no longer eligible for a Consistent Feedback Score.
Equity Strategies Checklist:
- No new Equity Strategies Checklist data was included in this release

*Ratings updated 9/18/2023 with a methodology update

Expanding criteria to include 1 & 2 practices as eligible scores (e.g. all charities that submit an Equity Strategies checklist)
Restructured Equity Strategies Checklist Scoring scale from 80-100 to 73-100 linear scale.
Scores are awarded as follows
- 1 practice = 73 points
- 2 practices = 75 points
- 3 practices = 77 points
- 4 practices = 79 points
- 5 practices = 81 points
- 6 practices = 83 points
- 7 practices = 85 points
- 8 practices = 87 points
- 9 practices = 89 points
- 10 practices = 91 points
- 11 practices = 93 points
- 12 practices = 95 points
- 13 practices = 97 points
- 14 practices =100 points

All eligible organizations are given a size classification based on their e-filed 990 data
- Size classifications are based on annual revenue
  - Micro: <$500k
  - Small: $500k - $2m
  - Medium: $2m - $25m
  - Large: $25m - $50m
  - Super: $50m+
All eligible organizations are assigned additional properties based on their e-filed 990 data
- Additional properties include:
  - Donor-funded: donations / total revenue > 40%
  - Noncash: noncash contributions amount / total contributions amount > 50%
  - Grantmaking: (grants to domestic orgs+grants to foreign entities) / Program Expenses > 50%
  - Grants payable: above, plus Grants Payable / (grants to domestic orgs+grants to foreign entities) > 25%
  - Museum: identified by analyst
All eligible organizations are scored on a new methodology based on their size and assigned properties
- Embracing Iteration: The Fall Methodology Update
~9000 organizations whose Accountability & Finance scores were harmed due to an abnormal financial year in 2020 or 2021 had the detrimental 990 dropped from the 3-year average.