The Council believes that the responsible actions of both donors and charities will sustain and enhance the climate for charitable giving. The Council does not have resources sufficient to conduct evaluations of all programmatic aspects of a charity's work. However, its standards are indicators of effective, ethical and accountable management practices. Following are the standards used to evaluate nonprofit organizations, the philosophy behind each standard and guidance on how the standard is applied. PDF version of standards PDF version of complete standards with philosophies and guidelines for application Charities serve a unique and valuable role in meeting the needs of society.
Charities have the right to solicit contributions of time and money in pursuit of their missions.
Donors have the right to choose how they spend their charitable dollars and to expect that charities will conduct themselves in an accountable, ethical and effective manner. For the year under review and the preceding two years, the organization has not violated any applicable provisions of Minnesota or federal law relating to the organization s tax exempt status, registration with and reporting to governmental agencies and the public or fundraising practices. The Council believes that providing complete information to prospective donors promotes informed, responsible philanthropy. Through the annual report or other communications available to donors, the organization provides specific, objective information about its accomplishments related to its stated mission. The programs offered by a charity and the results made possible by contributions are of utmost concern to potential donors.