Financials and Charity Ratings
Financials
Audited Financial Statements The following financial statements are reports that disclose Food & Water Watch’s financial condition. They have been prepared and certified by independent certified public accountants. This independent certification gives you confidence that our financial statements meet the requirements of the U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). We are pleased to report that in all of our financial statements the independent auditors have given us an “unqualified opinion” which means they agree with how we prepared the statements.
2011
Form 990s
The Form 990 is the annual reporting return that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS. It provides you more information about Food & Water Watch’s charitable mission, our programs, and our finances. They are the public copy of the “tax returns” Food & Water Watch is required to file with the federal government.
Charity Ratings
Charity rating services allow prospective donors to check out a charity’s credibility before donating. Many donors like to use these services to ensure donations are being put to good use. Each rating service offers a unique approach – some focus on financial criteria and funding sources, while others display personal reviews. Food & Water Watch is proud to be rated on the following charity services to show our transparency and reaffirm your trust in our work.
Better Business Bureau: BBB is a leading source for impartial information on organizations. It assesses charities based on financial transparency and accountability as well as the overall effectiveness of the charity. Food & Water Watch meets all 20 standards that “are a comprehensive set of policies, procedures and best practices focused on how businesses should treat the public – fairly and honestly in all circumstances.” You can view our BBB-accredited report here.
GuideStar: GuideStar is technically not a ratings service, but many donors use it as an online source of publicly available information on nonprofit organizations. It s mission is “To revolutionize philanthropy and nonprofit practice by providing information that advances transparency, enables users to make better decisions, and encourages charitable giving.” Food & Water Watch is a member of the GuideStar Exchange program which indicates that we have taken additional steps and provided more information available to donors to reinforce that Food & Water Watch is a transparent and credible nonprofit. Because we have taken the time to help close the knowledge gap in the nonprofit sector, GuideStar considers Food & Water Watch to be among the most transparent nonprofits. The listing for Food & Water Watch on GuideStar can be found here.
Charity Navigator: Charity Navigator is one of the most widely used charity sites. It helps donors make informed giving decisions by providing a financial profile dependent on current IRS forms, and comparing ratios of program costs to overall revenue. Food & Water Watch is proud to display our 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, exceeding in both the financials and transparency categories. We invite you to check out our profile in more detail here.
Great Nonprofits: GreatNonprofits is a review site where people can find, review, and share information about nonprofit organizations. It is not an independent rating site, but instead is a site that is similar to consumer review sites such as Zagats or TripAdvisors. It can be found here.
Charity Watch: Charity Watch is a nationally prominent charity rating and evaluation service dedicated to helping donors make informed giving decisions. It was formerly the American Institute of Philanthropy. It changed its name to better reflect its role as “the independent, assertive charity watchdog [that donors] can rely on.” You can see the evaluation of Food & Water Watch at CharityWatch.org.
