Advertise on this site
How Does Your City's Charitable Community Stack Up?
America's Leading Charity Evaluator Releases Study
Comparing the Financial Health of Charities in 30 Cities
Donors to charities in Cleveland are more likely to have their contributions spent on programs rather than fundraising, according to a study from Charity Navigator, America's largest charity evaluator. The fifth annual study of the nation's top 30 philanthropic markets revealed that some cities are home to more financially healthy charities than others. The study shows that Detroit's charities raise the most money, Phoenix's charities are growing the fastest, Indianapolis' charities pay their CEOs the least, Pittsburgh's charities are the richest, and New York's charities face the most competitive market.
In its study, Charity Navigator compared the median performance and size of the largest nonprofits in the 30 largest metropolitan markets. Those markets account for 55% of the charities evaluated by Charity Navigator and they generate 65% of the total revenue and total spending. The study revealed that regional factors, such as the cost of living, a market's maturity and a city's tendency to support one or two specialized causes, greatly influence the ability of the charities in each city to raise money and manage costs.
In terms of their overall financial health, the study's highest and lowest rated charitable communities are:
Highest Rated
| 2007 Ranking | 2006 Ranking |
|---|---|
| 1) San Diego | 1) San Diego |
| 2) Dallas | 2) Cleveland |
| 3) Miami | 3) Houston |
| 4) Colorado Springs | 4) Colorado Springs |
| 5) St. Louis | 5) Los Angeles |
Lowest Rated
| 2007 Ranking | 2006 Ranking |
|---|---|
| 30) Detroit | 30) Detroit |
| 29) Kansas City | 29) Indianapolis |
| 28) Portland | 28) Baltimore |
| 27) San Francisco | 27) Philadelphia |
| 26) Indianapolis | 26) Cincinnati |
"In contrast to the for-profit sector, there is an absence of in-depth reporting around the nonprofit sector," said Charity Navigator president Trent Stamp. "Our comprehensive examination of the variations among the top 30 philanthropic communities in
Additional findings from the report include:
- Market Size: New York City (562 large charities), D.C. (487) and L.A. (182) are more crowded and competitive philanthropic markets than Miami (32), Cincinnati (31) and Charlotte (29).
- Fundraising Efficiency: Orlando's and Milwaukee's charities are the most efficient in their fundraising endeavors. Cincinnati's and Baltimore's charities are the least.
- Program Expenses: Cleveland's charities spend the largest portion of their budgets on their programs, with Milwaukee's and Houston's charities also ranking highly in this area. Charities spending the least on their programs are found in Miami , followed by those in Seattle and Baltimore.
- Annual Growth: Charities in Phoenix and Colorado Springs are among the fastest growing, while charities in Detroit and Kansas City are among the slowest.
- Wealth: Pittsburgh's largest charities are generally richer in assets and working capital than charities in other parts of the country, while charities in Orlando are less financially secure.
- Donor Privacy Policy: Milwaukee (67%) and Cincinnati (61%) have higher percentages of charities with written donor privacy plans; Pittsburgh (29%) and Boston (30%) have the lowest percentage of such charities.
Charity Navigator's ratings are accessible at no charge at www.charitynavigator.org, and catalog the financial health of over 5,200 of
Advertise on this site