DALLAS, March 16, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A commitment to excellence, transparency, accountability and sound fiscal management practices have earned the North Texas Food Bank a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's largest independent charity evaluator. This is the fourth consecutive time that the North Texas Food Bank has earned this top distinction.
Since 2002, using data-driven analysis, Charity Navigator has awarded only the most fiscally responsible organizations a 4-star rating. In 2011, Charity Navigator added a second dimension of Accountability and Transparency (A &T) to its rating methodology, and now reviews 17 governance and ethical practices as well as measures of openness, providing information on its website for each of the charities it evaluates. The A &T 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.
"The North Texas Food Bank's coveted 4-star rating puts it in a very select group of high-performing charities," according to Ken Berger, President and CEO, Charity Navigator. "Out of the thousands of nonprofits Charity Navigator evaluates, only one out of four earns 4 stars -- a rating that, now, with our new Accountability and Transparency metrics, demands even greater rigor, responsibility and commitment to openness. North Texas Food Bank 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 want our donors to trust that we're using our funding wisely to feed hungry children, seniors and families across North Texas," said Jan Pruitt, President and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank. "Our 4-star Charity Navigator rating demonstrates to our supporters that we take our fiduciary and governance responsibilities very seriously, and we are incredibly proud of the fact that donating $1 to NTFB can provide access to 3 meals."
The rating for the North Texas Food Bank and other information about charitable giving are available free of charge on www.charitynavigator.org. More-detailed information about the North Texas Food Bank's rating is available to Charity Navigator site visitors who become registered users, another free service.
About Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org)
Charity Navigator is the largest charity evaluator in America and its website attracts more visitors than all other charity rating groups combined. The organization helps guide intelligent giving by evaluating the Financial Health and Accountability & Transparency of roughly 5,500 mid-to-large sized charities that garner roughly 50% of all private contributions made in the USA each year (not including houses of worship). Charity Navigator accepts no advertising or donations from the organizations it evaluates, ensuring unbiased evaluations, nor does it charge the public for this trusted data. As a result, Charity Navigator, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization itself, depends on support from individuals, corporations and foundations that believe it provides a much-needed service to America's charitable givers. Charity Navigator, can be reached directly by telephone at (201) 818-1288, or by mail at 139 Harristown Road, Suite 201, Glen Rock, N.J., 07452.
About North Texas Food Bank
The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a top-ranked nonprofit relief organization, and the largest North Texas charity. Each day, the North Texas Food Bank provides access to 170,000 meals for hungry children, seniors and families through a network of more than 1,000 programs and 262 Partner Agencies. In fiscal year 2014, NTFB provided access to some 62 million meals. NTFB recently has announced a 10-year vision to eliminate the hunger gap in its 13-county service area. NTFB is a member of Feeding America, a national hunger relief organization.
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