Helping Veterans in Good Times and Bad: Three Funder Lessons from the Pandemic

Over a year ago, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19

a pandemic. Today, during Military Appreciation Month, we are honored to share a

first-hand account of what innovation and adaptation look like during a pandemic,

and a subsequent economic crisis, from Call of Duty Endowment.

While honoring our nation’s veterans during Military Appreciation Month is wonderful, ensuring the economic well-being of veterans is paramount. The most impactful action we can take to support veterans, especially now, is to help them find employment. If we can be successful in getting veterans back to work, so many of the other challenges exacerbated by the pandemic will be ameliorated, such as accessing quality medical care.

5 Things to Know Before Filing Your Form 990

As we dive deeper into 2021, you’re probably still working toward those ambitious goals you set at the beginning of the year. You may have even kept your New Year's resolution thus far! However, there’s one upcoming event that very few people look forward to during a new year, and that’s tax season. 

Mental Health Matters More Than Ever Before

Over a year ago, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19

a pandemic. During our long period lockdown, an unfortunate consequence has been 

a rise in the need for mental health care and intervention. 

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. We are honored to share a first-hand

account of what innovation and adaptation look like during a pandemic, 

and a subsequent economic crisis, from the 

National Alliance on Mental Illness in New York City (NAMI-NYC), 

a Charity Navigator 4-Star rated nonprofit.

On Thursday March 12, 2020, as the world around us was coming to a grinding halt, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) NYC made the decision to close our offices, for an indefinite period of time. For nearly 40 years, our doors have remained open, through snowstorms and hurricane aftermaths, on Saturdays and even on Christmas Day, but this was different.

Meet the Team: My Nonprofit Journey - Marisa Andreazza

Welcome to our Meet The Team series, where each month we will introduce a 
member of the Charity Navigator team to our readers. Millions of visitors come to 
Charity Navigator annually, and they may be surprised to learn that we're a staff of 24! 

We often proudly state that we are a "small yet mighty team"-- achieving a lot with the resources we have, while staying focused on our mission. We are extremely honored to be a part of the nonprofit community where our footprint (and our ratings!) have expanded, and we are incredibly appreciative of the support received from our donors and users, nonprofits, and funders. We hope this series will be enlightening and entertaining. Click here for other profiles.

My name is Marisa Andreazza, and I have been a part of the Charity Navigator team for a little over two years. Prior to joining Charity Navigator, I was able to get a taste of the nonprofit sector by volunteering and by working as an intern as I completed my bachelor’s and master’s degrees. As an intern for organizations in the environmental space, I assisted with a bit of everything –from working on targeted advocacy campaigns, to helping with non-profit administration.

Midwest Food Bank: Putting people first, and leading with their volunteers

Many great nonprofits are built on incredible volunteer programs. Not only do volunteers deliver operational efficiencies (free labor!) but they are also the best donors (per Fidelity Charitable, volunteers donate 10x more over their lifetimes and over 60% of donors volunteered last year).

Great volunteer programs share a number of attributes, including…

• Engaging a cross-section of the local community (ages, court-ordered volunteers, organized groups, companies and more)
• High number of return volunteers
• Hiring policies that consider current volunteers

But more than that, great volunteer programs have great volunteer managers and great volunteers. Today, we at Golden, introduce you to two.

Emerson College Students Create a Diverse Book Campaign for Boston Public Schools While Studying Charity Navigator's DEI Goals

Charity Navigator is committed to promoting a more equitable social sector by encouraging both nonprofits and donors to consider aspects of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in their decision-making. 

Our multifaceted approach includes evolving our ratings to assess key measures of equity, generating Hot Topics to help donors support organizations founded by diverse leaders dedicated to bridging inequities, and partnering with nonprofits to better tell the story of the unmet and often misunderstood needs that uniquely impact underserved communities. 

We’re proud to highlight On The Same Page, a campaign run by Professor Cathryn Edelstein and students enrolled in the Nonprofit Communication Management Program at Emerson College. Through the campaign, they have spearheaded an effort to provide diverse literature to Boston Public schools.

How does it feel to seldom see your identity represented in a story you read? What does it mean to your self-esteem if someone with your skin color, your family’s background, your disability, or someone that speaks your language is missing from the literature in your school’s library?  Plain and simple, “I - and my experiences - don’t matter.”