The National Environmental Education Foundation's (NEEF) strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency have earned it a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's largest independent charity evaluator.
“NEEF's exceptional 4-star rating sets it apart from its peers and demonstrates its trustworthiness to the public,” according to Michael Thatcher, president & CEO of Charity Navigator. “Only a quarter of charities rated by Charity Navigator receive the distinction of our 4-star rating. This adds NEEF to a preeminent group of charities working to overcome our world's most pressing challenges. Based on its 4-star rating, people can trust that their donations are going to a financially responsible and ethical charity when they decide to support NEEF.”
Since 2002, using objective analysis, Charity Navigator has awarded only the most fiscally responsible organizations a 4-star rating. In 2011, Charity Navigator added 17 metrics, focused on governance and ethical practices as well as measures of openness, to its ratings methodology. These Accountability & Transparency metrics, which account for 50 percent of a charity's overall rating, reveal which charities operate in accordance with industry best practices and whether they are open with their donors and stakeholders. In 2016, the company upgraded its methodology to further substantiate the financial health of its four star charities.
“This rating gives our supporters assurance that NEEF is using funds in a forthright manner,” said Meri-Margaret Deoudes, president and CEO of NEEF. NEEF seeks to reach people where they are and inspire them to learn about their relationship to the environment and, in turn, increase their environmental engagement. With increased environmental involvement of individuals on a national scale, their actions, taken collectively, will have a tremendous environmental impact—and help bring about a cultural shift in attitudes and behaviors. “Our supporters are essential to maintaining our rigorous standards in developing programs and material that are accessible and engaging to diverse audiences,” said Deoudes.
NEEF's rating and other information about charitable giving are available free of charge on www.charitynavigator.org. More detailed information about NEEF's rating is available to Charity Navigator site visitors who become registered users, another free service.
