United Way of Western CT Earns Coveted 4-Star Rating From Charity Navigator

 United Way of Western Connecticut’s (UWWC) sound fiscal management practices and commitment to accountability and transparency have earned it a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator. UWWC has earned this top distinction because it uses donor dollars to advance its mission in a fiscally responsible way.

“United Way of Western Connecticut’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 the thousands of nonprofits Charity Navigator evaluates, only one out of four earns 4 stars -- a rating that demands rigor, responsibility and commitment to openness. UWWC’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.”

“It’s important our donors trust that we’re using our funding wisely to improve lives by mobilizing caring communities to solve complex problems that affect us all,” said Kim Morgan, CEO of United Way of Western Connecticut. “Our 4-star Charity Navigator rating demonstrates to our supporters that we take our fiduciary and governance responsibilities very seriously.”

“UWWC has a responsibility to respect our donors’ support by dedicating their dollars in the most impactful and transparent manner in greater Danbury, greater New Milford and the City of Stamford,” said Cindy Merkle, Chair of UWWC’s Board of Directors, and President and CEO of Union Savings Bank. “Our Board of Directors takes great pride in the governance and oversight of the organization to ensure the utmost fiscal responsibility and ethics.”

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 read the congratulatory letter to UWWC from Charity Navigator’s President and CEO, Michael Thatcher, please visit: www.uwwesternct.org/about/mission.