May 24, 2016 - The BBB Wise Giving Alliance has updated its charity report on the Clinton Foundation (aka Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.) This was an evaluation conducted for the sole purpose of determining if the Foundation meets the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. The Foundation cooperated with the review and provided the information we needed to complete our report. 

The Clinton Foundation meets 17 of the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. The three standards it does not meet are #4, #6 and #7. 

Standard #4 addresses Board Compensation. The standard states: “Not more than one or 10% (whichever is greater) directly or indirectly compensated person(s) serving as voting member(s) of the board. Compensated members shall not serve as the board's chair or treasurer.” The Clinton Foundation did not meet this standard because the organization's board chair is compensated as a Foundation staff member. 

Standard #6 calls for a Board Policy on Assessing Effectiveness. The Standard states the organization should have a written board policy of assessing, no less than every two years, the organization’s performance and effectiveness.  The Foundation does not currently have such a board policy but plans to present one to the Board at its next meeting in September 2016. 

Standard #7 calls for an Effectiveness Report. The Standard states the organization should “Submit to the organization's governing body, for its approval, a written report that outlines the results of the performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions.” The Clinton Foundation told BBB WGA they are working on developing an effectiveness assessment report for their board and plan to present it at its next meeting in September 2016. 

These three matters are not new, and were addressed in previous BBB WGA charity reports. The Foundation has been in ongoing conversations with BBB WGA and has made progress in addressing Standards issues brought to its attention.

The Clinton Foundation’s BBB WGA charity report, along with details about BBB Charity standards, is available at Give.org.