Rating the Charities

CN looks at a lot of financial data and then rates 5,500 agencies using a 0-4 star system.

Questions still abound. Is it all that simple? Can you rate the efficiency or worth of a non-profit organization so easily?

Efficiency, salaries, administrative costs, plus fundraising costs weigh heavily in the star ranking system.

But some charities have argued, and logically so, that they have greater administrative costs because they perform more functions.

Or they incur greater fundraising costs because they are trying to increase revenues to expand their reach to a larger client population.

A good friend just sent me ratings for some major Jewish organizations covered by Charity Navigator along with their CEOs’ salaries.

It’s certainly an eye-opener. Check out each organization’s full rating report on Charity Navigator for yourself and see if you agree with their conclusions.

American Jewish Congress: 0 Stars

Executive Director’s Salary: $205,232

OneFamily Fund: 1 Star
Executive Director’s Salary: $148,077

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger: 2 Stars
President’s Salary: $147,799

American Jewish Committee: 3 Stars
Executive Director’s Salary: $463,939

AFMDA: American Friends of Magen David Adom: 3 Stars
Chief Executive Officer’s Salary: $279,155

Milwaukee Jewish Federation: 4 Stars
Executive VP’s Salary: $224,767

Anti-Defamation League: 4 Stars
National Director’s Salary: $282,252

Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America: 4 Stars
Executive Director’s Salary: $334,628

Jewish National Fund: 4 Stars
Chief Executive Officer’s Salary: $392,819

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee: (4 star)
Chief Executive Officer’s Salary: $431,654

Chai Lifeline: 4 Stars
Executive Director’s Salary: $160,295