Consumers receive and see many opportunities to give to charities, but sometimes those offers can be misleading. Through BBB Foundation, your Better Business Bureau serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington introduces a new way for legitimate charities to show their commitment to ethics.
For over 10 years, your BBB has provided a free BBB Charity Review Service to the public. By calling BBB or visiting www.bbb.org, consumers can review BBB Accredited Charities that meet BBB's 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.
Now, local charities that meet all of BBB's 20 Standards for Charity Accountability can apply for the BBB Charity Seal Program. A BBB Charity Seal can be displayed on the agency's Web sites, solicitation materials and other communications to provide the public with a clear, concise and easily recognized symbol of trust.
"This is an exciting first for local charities," said Robert W.G. Andrew, CEO of BBB serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington.
Charity Seal and Review Benefits Donors:
- Find reliability. The charity seal will allow potential donors to quickly recognize charities that meet BBB's standards.
- Look beyond "the numbers." While many other charity watchdogs confine their reports and conclusions solely to the charity's finances, BBB Charity Review Service requests various support documents to evaluate the participating charity's governance, fundraising practices, solicitations and informational material, as well as how it spends its money.
- Charities held accountable. BBB charity evaluations are in effect for 2 years. However, BBB can amend them at any time based on new information or changes in the charity's practice. If a BBB Charity Seal holder no longer meets all standards, the charity would be required to remove the seal from Web sites and cease distribution of materials displaying the seal. BBB will alert the public of any known seal abuses.
- Continued free charity review. BBB will continue to provide the public with free reviews of all charities in BBB's database.
BBB's Charity Seal Program Will Allow Charities To:
- Stand apart from others. Display of the seal will instantly convey to the donor that the charity adheres to strong and comprehensive BBB standards.
- Show visible reliability. BBB Charity Seal holders can use the seal in many outlets, including direct mail appeals, annual reports, posters, newspaper and magazine advertisements, billboards, Web sites and television public service announcements.
About BBB Foundation:
BBB Foundation produces reports on local soliciting charitable organizations, as well as provides local consumer education. BBB Foundation does not rank charities but rather seeks to assist donors in making informed judgments by providing objective evaluations of national charities based on 20 rigorous standards. The outcomes of the evaluations are available online at www.bbb.org. BBB Foundation is an affiliate of BBB serving Alaska, Oregon & Western Washington.
About your BBB serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington:
Your Better Business Bureau is a not-for-profit organization funded by Better Business Bureau Accredited Businesses. The BBB's mission is to be the leader in advancing marketplace trust. For more information about the services and products provided by your BBB, call 907-562-0704 in Alaska, or visit our Web site at www.bbb.org.