BUFFALO – Better Business Bureau serving Upstate New York is pleased to announce an expanded Charity Review Program to evaluate local charities against BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. Intense scrutiny often surrounds the nonprofit sector leaving donors to seek assurance in their giving decisions. BBBs Charity Review Program will offer unbiased and reliable information for both donors and charities operating in Upstate New York.

“Up until now, our BBB has reported evaluations of national charities,” said Warren Clark, President of BBB serving Upstate New York. “Local evaluations will make our Charity Review Program even more valuable for people who turn to us when they want to give, but want to ensure that they are giving wisely. The program will also assist local charities in their quest to demonstrate their transparency to the public.”

BBB charity evaluations are based on 20 voluntary Standards for Charity Accountability developed by BBB Wise Giving Alliance. These comprehensive standards address charity finances, fund raising and informational materials, governance, effectiveness, donor privacy, and other aspects of charity operations. BBB reports on charities that meet its standards, charities that do not meet its standards, and charities that will not disclose their organization information to BBB.

BBB Education and Research Foundation in Metropolitan New York sited recently organizations meeting all 20 BBB Wise Giving Alliance Standards for Charity Accountability achieve significantly higher fundraising revenue, according to a new research study. The study concluded that “meeting BBB Standards for Charity Accountability is positively associated with increased levels of public support as measured by fundraising revenue” and indicated that a charity meeting all 20 BBB charity standards can associate their BBB charity accreditation with a 13.5 percent increase in fundraising revenue for the Metro New York charity sample and an 8 percent increase in fundraising revenue for the national charity sample.