Yesterday, BBB Wise Giving Alliance’s COO, Bennett Weiner, attended the 13^th BBB Charity Effectiveness Symposium, Visions for Change: Building Better Outcomes, presented by the BBB Foundation of Metropolitan New York. The sold-out event included keynote remarks by Lorie A. Slutsky, President, The New York Community Trust as well as panel discussions about making change happen and communicating effectively.

Speakers at this event shared insights about how to drive change, as well as how to manage in the context of disruptions in the nonprofit operating environment.  One issue introduced in the keynote remarks and mentioned by other speakers is the need for nonprofit leaders to consider taking calculated risks when this might help advance mission goals. Ms. Slutsky pointed out that while an emphasis on measuring outcomes is necessary, only doing things that are measurable might lead a nonprofit to miss important opportunities.

Evaluating and proactively managing areas of risk can help charities cope with rapid change in terms of the economy, technology and communications. Problems and scandals can spread quickly in the social media environment and can erode trust in even the most established institutions. Several panelists at the Symposium emphasized the importance of building public trust by identifying and handling potential risks, being authentic and transparent in communications, and working to understand client needs and experiences.

During the final communications panel, the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability and BBB Accreditation were discussed as valuable risk-assessment tools and practices that charities can use to help activate transparency and strengthen public trust for their organizations.

Video of the Week

As part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide a video featuring Mitchel Rosenzweig, Chief Financial Officer of the Jewish National Fund a (BBB Accredited Charity) which promotes, educates and advocates for community and environmental issues surrounding Israel and the world. Among other things, it plants trees in the desert, builds parks, creates new communities, bolsters Israel’s water supply, and helps develop arid-agriculture techniques. 

Recent Reports

We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org or local BBBs to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include:

• American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
• Concerns of Police Survivors
• Paralyzed Veterans of America

Finally, remember to let us know by going to give.org/charity-inquiry if you are  interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.

H. Art Taylor, President & CEO
BBB Wise Giving Alliance