For the 12th consecutive year, the State University of New York at Oneonta Foundation Corporation has received a four-star rating — the highest possible — from Charity Navigator, earning an overall score of 98%.

Scores of 90% or more mean the charity “exceeds or meets best practices and industry standards across almost all areas.”

Charity Navigator rates 180,000 nonprofits on its website, charitynavigator.org. Of those, 40% receive four stars. But less than 1% have received four stars for 12 consecutive years or more.

“The Foundation’s continuing four-star rating has had a big impact on the Grow. Thrive. Live. campaign,” says Paul Perlman ’76, retired partner of the law firm Hodgson Russ and chair of the Foundation Board’s Audit Committee. “It gives our donors confidence that their money will be handled properly and their wishes will be carried out.”

Perlman notes the Foundation’s 100% rating for Impact and Results is especially important because “donors want to know that their money will have tangible results.” The Foundation also received 100% ratings for Culture and Community and for Leadership and Adaptability.

“COVID changed the University’s needs, and the Foundation adapted quickly — for example, by establishing a permanent Student Emergency Fund, which has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars to students with unexpected financial needs,” Perlman says.

Another noteworthy metric: The Foundation’s program expense ratio (program expenses divided by total expense) of 89.6% is considerably higher than the 80% average of peer institutions rated by Charity Navigator.

“That’s significant because donors to a charity want their money to fund programs. In our case, that means scholarships, internships, student travel, and student research,” Perlman says. “The less that is spent on administration, the more that can go for its intended purpose.”

Charity Navigator rates nonprofits to “make impactful giving easier for all.” Its ratings “shine a light on the cost-effectiveness and overall health of a charity’s programs, including measures of stability, efficiency, and sustainability.”

Of the State University of New York at Oneonta Foundation Corporation, Charity Navigator concludes: “If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.”

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