Can Do Multiple Sclerosis’s sound fiscal management practices and commitment to accountability and transparency has earned it a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator. This is the seventh time that Can Do MS has earned this top distinction in the last nine years, showing the organization uses donor dollars to further its mission of providing lifestyle empowerment programs for people living with MS and their support partners in a fiscally responsible way.
“Can Do MS’s coveted 4-star rating puts it in a very select group of high-performing charities,” according to Michael Thatcher, President and CEO of Charity Navigator. “Out of thousands of nonprofits Charity Navigator evaluates, only one out of four earns 4 stars – a rating that demands rigor, responsibility and commitment to openness. Can Do MS’s supporters should feel much more confident that their hard-earned dollars are being used efficiently and responsibly when it acquires such a high rating.”
“We are honored to receive this 4-star rating for our philanthropic efforts. Over 80 percent of the dollars we receive are committed to our programs and services,” said Heidi A. Heltzel, President and CEO of Can Do MS. “It’s important our donors trust that we’re using our funding wisely to expand our reach with comprehensive programs that empower people and families living with MS to improve their quality of life. Our 4-star Charity Navigator rating demonstrates to our supporters that we take our fiduciary and governance responsibilities very seriously.”
Since 2002, using objective, data-driven 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 have “best practices” that minimize the chance of unethical activities and whether they freely share basic information about their organization with their donors and other stakeholders.
To view the Can Do MS rating page, please visit the Charity Navigator website. To learn more about Can Do MS, visit www.mscando.org.