Newsroom

< Return To News Archive
April 24, 2009
Missing the good work

by Peter Resnick, Board Chairman, The Doe Fund
By using the notoriously flawed Charity Navigator as its source, the Daily News' report on New York charities ("They lose funds - but not heart," April 19) missed an opportunity to highlight the work of some of the city's best nonprofits. Because it arbitrarily refuses to rate charities that earn "too much" of their revenue from business ventures, Charity Navigator steers potential donors away from many worthy nonprofits that don't fit its limited criteria. Among these entrepreneurial nonprofits is The Doe Fund - one of New York's leading human services providers and a Better Business Bureau-accredited charity. I have worked with Doe over many years to diversify its revenue base beyond donations to include government contracts and socially responsible microbusinesses such as those recycling waste cooking oil from restaurants. At a time when financial resources are painfully scarce, nonprofits that employ creativity and business savvy to sustain their programs should be lauded - not penalized - for their efforts. Charity Navigator should know better.

< Return To News Archive ^ back to top