The Greater Joliet Area YMCA’s strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency have earned it a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator, marking the seventh consecutive time that the Greater Joliet Area YMCA has earned a top distinction.
“Charity Navigator is a respected tool for evaluating nonprofit financial health and accountability. The Greater Joliet Area YMCA has high standards in these areas,” Senior Development Director Julie Wilkinson said. “We rely on contributions from individuals, corporations, grantors and the local community in order to deliver our mission to all, regardless of their ability to pay. The renewal of this 4-star rating is a testament to our commitment to donor stewardship and sound financial management. It’s an endorsement that donors can feel good about giving to the Y.”
As one of the area’s leading nonprofit charities, the Greater Joliet Area YMCA is committed to strengthening local communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. A mainstay in the community for more than 90 years, the Y brings families closer together, encourages good health, and fosters connections through fitness, sports, fun and shared interests.
“The Greater Joliet Area YMCA’s exceptional 4-star rating sets it apart from its peers and demonstrates its trustworthiness to the public,” according to Michael Thatcher, President & CEO of Charity Navigator. “Only a quarter of charities rated by Charity Navigator receive the distinction of our 4-star rating. This adds the Greater Joliet Area YMCA to a preeminent group of charities working to overcome our world’s most pressing challenges. Based on its 4-star rating, people can trust that their donations are going to a financially responsible and ethical charity when they decide to support the Greater Joliet Area YMCA.”
Since 2002, using objective 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 and Transparency metrics, which account for 50 percent of a charity’s overall rating, reveal which charities operate in accordance with industry best practices and whether they are open with their donors and stakeholders. On June 1, 2016, they upgraded their methodology for rating each charity’s’ financial health with CN 2.1. These enhancements further substantiate the financial health of 4-star charities.
The Greater Joliet Area YMCA’s rating and other information about charitable giving are available free of charge on www.charitynavigator.org. More-detailed information about The Greater Joliet Area YMCA’s rating is available to Charity Navigator site visitors who become registered users, another free service.
