PHILANTHROPY IN TIMES OF NEED
In 1946, Minnesota's leading citizens created the Minnesota Community Research Council (now Charities Review Council) out of concern that the generosity the community displayed in support of soldiers fighting in World War II would be exploited by national organizations lacking transparency.
The intent was not to inhibit charitable giving; in fact, just the opposite. The purpose was to mitigate the risk of donor exploitation so that individuals could give confidently to trustworthy organizations.
The care required to sustain healthy philanthropy has proven not to be timebound, and while there may always be some illintended actors that attempt to mislead or take advantage of the generosity of others, we must not let that stand in the way of the potential that can be realized when donors, funders, and trustworthy nonprofits build relationships and achieve impact.
2025 marks another time of concern for philanthropy. Household and nonprofit budgets are stretched thin, funding has fallen back to prepandemic levels, and the uncertainty of government funding looms large. At the same time, nonprofits continue to experience increased demand for their services. In the midst of all this, the ongoing Feeding Our Future investigation, the largest pandemic-related fraud case in the U.S., leaves donors questioning how to safely contribute and nonprofits questioning how to distinguish themselves as trustworthy.
The Council’s sound resources and steady guidance offer one powerful antidote.
Donors can confidently support the nonprofits providing vital services and facing grave challenges by applying smart giving practices as they extend generosity:
• Confirm a nonprofit is registered with the state and IRS – ag.state.mn.us and irs. gov
• Review a nonprofit’s print and online materials for transparency, good governance, and evident impact. The Council’s Accountability Standards® and Meets Standards® Seal indicates nonprofits that meet key standards and prioritize accountability.
Nonprofits can meaningfully connect with donors who are reconciling the recent headlines about charitable fraud with the recent headlines about nonprofits’ growing need and shrinking funding by:
• Sharing accessible financial reports and annual reports to demonstrate transparency.
• Displaying your strength by highlighting internal and external steps you take to be accountable – financial audits, IRS Form 990s, indicators like the Meets Standards® Seal earned through the Council’s Accountability Wizard® review process.
The past has shown that we can get through times of uncertainty, continue to show up for each other, and realize deep impacts when we foster trust and carry forward the Council’s enduring principle - accountability is both a requirement and an outcome of healthy philanthropy.
• Philanthropy In Times of Need
• Status Update with Kris Kewitsch
• Giving Guide 2025
• Showing Up for Causes You Care About IN THIS ISSUE
Check out the Giving Guide (pg 3) for a list of reviewed nonprofits. Three Easy Ways Check Out Nonprofits Before Giving
STATUS UPDATE WITH KRIS KEWITSCH
Hello, Council Friends!
In a time of deep reflection for many, I’ve been reflecting on the unique vantage point I gain wearing the hats of nonprofit executive, charitable donor, and leader of Charities Review Council.
From this distinct perspective, I share a few thoughts on things I know to be true…
Whether I’m advising a nonprofit partner, assessing our own organizational policies, or making a personal contribution to a worthy cause, the Council’s Accountability Standards® continue to serve as a reliable, relevant tool for making sound decisions. These community co-created benchmarks of nonprofit governance, finances, fundraising, and public communication offer steady guidance through uncertainty, adversity, and times of change.
Sustaining healthy philanthropy requires us to demonstrate both caution and commitment.
My position at the Council affords me the opportunity to have meaningful conversations year-round with a multitude of philanthropic stakeholders. This valuable insight from nonprofits, donors, and funders informs the Council’s strategic decisions as we work to address emerging challenges and extend impact for our sector. What I hear from so many of you also reinforces a sentiment I closely relate to as an executive and as an individual donor: sustaining healthy philanthropy requires us to demonstrate both caution and commitment.
As a leader of a small nonprofit with a staff fewer than five and a budget under $1M, I understand the anxiety organizations experience with shifting and shrinking funding streams. As a donor, I share the concerns of those seeking to support impactful organizations while avoiding organizations that lack transparency or mislead.
Whichever hat(s) we wear in our community – business leader, parent, volunteer, elected official – let us all continue to advocate for strong, accountable nonprofits, because this we know to be true: When trustworthy nonprofits are able to build relationships with dependable donors, together we create strong, vibrant, and just communities.
In partnership,
Kris Kewitsch
Executive Director, Charities Review Council
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Melvin Clark, Vice Chair, Allianz Investment Management
Carolyn Deters, Treasurer, Gifts for Seniors
Garnetta Lowman, Chair and Program Committee Chair, Tangelo Tree Consulting
Jonathan Palmer, Nonprofit Hero for-Hire, LLC
Molly Raymond, City of Minneapolis
STAFF
Olivia Felland, Donor and Nonprofit Relations Coordinator
Dimitri Kaasan-Stull, Program Manager
Kris Kewitsch, Executive Director
INTERNS
Naa Korkoi Larmie Anneka Markell Megan Crowell
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MEETS STANDARDS® NONPROFITS
This go-to list features nonprofits that have voluntarily completed our nonprofit review process and have earned Charities Review Council’s Meets Standards® Seal, a visual marker of nonprofit strength.
Our review process is good for three years and requires a small administrative payment (.04% of an organization’s annual operating expenses).
Accountability Standards®
Charities Review Council's Meets Standards® seal
Our 25 Accountability Standards® are benchmarks measuring nonprofit performance in four critical areas: governance, finance, fundraising, and public disclosure. They represent a balance of nonprofit sector promising practices, public expectations, and legal/regulatory requirements. The Standards have evolved over the Council’s 75+ years, with broad participation from Minnesota’s nonprofit and philanthropic communities, to reflect reasonable public expectations for nonprofits. To learn more, visit: SmartGivers.org
GIVING GUIDE SPRING 2025
✔ 180 Degrees
✔ 360 Communities
✔ A Breath of Hope Lung Foundation
✔ Accessible Space, Inc. (ASI)
✔ Accord
✔ Achieve Twin Cities
✔ Alexandra House, Inc.
✔ Alliance Housing Inc.
✔ Ampersand Families
✔ Angel Foundation
✔ Animal Folks
✔ Annex Teen Clinic
✔ ArtReach St. Croix
✔ Assistance League of Minneapolis/St. Paul
The checkmark indicates that the nonprofit Meets Standards® For an up-to-date list, go to: SmartGivers.org/organizations
✔ Association for NonsmokersMinnesota
✔ Avenues for Youth
✔ Banyan Community
✔ Basic Needs, Inc of South Washington County dba Stone Soup Thrift Shop
✔ Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative
✔ BestPrep
✔ Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities
✔ Bloom Early Learning
✔ Breaking Free
✔ Breanna's Gift
✔ The Bridge for Youth
✔ Bridges to Learning, Inc.
✔ Bridging
✔ C.A.R.E. Clinic
✔ CAIR California (LA, SV/CC, SD, SFBA)
✔ CAIR-Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh)
✔ Camp Fire Minnesota
✔ Camp Odayin
✔ Can Do Canines
✔ Cancer Legal Care
✔ Carmen Pampa Fund
✔ Cars for Neighbors
✔ Charities Review Council (Self-Review)
✔ ChildFund International
✔ Children's Dental Services
✔ Children's Home Society of Minnesota
GIVING GUIDE SPRING 2025 continued...
✔ Children's Law Center of Minnesota
✔ Children's Shelter of Cebu
✔ City of Lakes Community Land Trust
✔ CommonBond Communities
✔ Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County
✔ Community Dental Care
✔ Community Resource Connections
✔ Community Thread
✔ Como Friends
✔ COMPAS
✔ Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa
✔ CornerHouse
✔ Cultural Wellness Center
✔ Daily Work
✔ DARTS
✔ DinoMights
✔ Disabled American Veterans of Minnesota Foundation
✔ Dodge Nature Center
✔ East Side Learning Center
✔ Emma Norton Services
✔ Environmental Initiative
✔ Every Meal
✔ Exercisabilities, Inc. (dba EA Therapeutic Health)
✔ Face to Face Health and Counseling Service, Inc.
✔ Faith's Lodge
✔ The Family Partnership
✔ Family Pathways
✔ Family Resource Center St. Croix Valley, Inc.
✔ FamilyMeans
✔ FamilyWise
✔ Faribault Area Public Schools
Educational Trust Association
✔ Feed My Starving Children
✔ Feeding Our Communities Partners
✔ The Food Group
✔ Foundation for Essential Needs
✔ Fraser
✔ Fresh Energy
✔ Freshwater Society
✔ Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness
✔ Friends of the Hennepin County Library
✔ Friends of the Mississippi River
✔ Friends of the Ramsey County Libraries
✔ Girls on the Run Twin Cities
✔ Global Minnesota
✔ Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota
✔ Great River Greening
✔ Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery
✔ Guild
✔ Habitat for Humanity of Douglas County
✔ Haiti Teen Challenge
✔ Hammer Residences, Inc. (DBA Hammer & NER)
✔ HandsOn Twin Cities
✔ Hastings Family Service
✔ Helping Paws of Minnesota
✔ Hennepin Health Foundation/ Hennepin Healthcare Foundation
✔ Hope Community
✔ HopeKids, Inc.
✔ Housing First Minnesota Foundation
✔ HousingLink
✔ Hudson Hospital Foundation
✔ ICA – Intercongregation Communities Association
✔ Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota
✔ Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners
✔ International Institute of Minnesota
✔ Jewish Family Service of St. Paul
✔ Junior Achievement North
✔ Keystone Community Services
✔ Koochiching Aging Options
GIVING GUIDE SPRING 2025 continued...
✔ La Oportunidad, Inc.
✔ Lakes & Prairies CAP
✔ Lakes Area United Way
✔ Lakes Center for Youth and Families
✔ Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers
✔ League of Women Voters Minnesota
✔ Learning Disabilities Association, Inc. (LDA Minnesota)
✔ Lee Carlson Center for Mental Health & Well-Being
✔ LifeSource
✔ Lifeworks Services, Inc.
✔ The Lift Garage
✔ Lighthouse Ministries International of Africa
✔ The Link
✔ Listening Point Foundation Inc.
✔ Loaves & Fishes
✔ Lutheran Partners in Global Ministry
✔ Lutheran Social Service of MN
✔ Make-A-Wish Foundation of Minnesota
✔ Mano a Mano International Partners
✔ MATTER
✔ McLeod Emergency Food Shelf
✔ MDI
✔ Merrick Community Services
✔ Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance
✔ Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge
✔ Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement
✔ Minnesota Alliance With Youth
✔ Minnesota Boychoir
✔ Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA)
✔ Minnesota Computers for Schools
✔ Minnesota Council on Economic Education
✔ Minnesota Independence College and Community
✔ Minnesota Justice Foundation
✔ Minnesota Land Trust
✔ Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance
✔ Minnesota Public Radio, American Public Media
✔ Minnesota State Fair Foundation
✔ Minnesota Veterinary Medical Foundation
✔ Missions Inc. Programs
✔ MORE
✔ MSS
✔ My Very Own Bed
✔ NAMI Minnesota
✔ Neighborhood Network for Seniors
✔ Neighbors, Inc.
✔ Neuro Hospitality House
✔ New Pathways
✔ Northcountry Cooperative Foundation
✔ Northern Dental Access Center
✔ NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center, Inc.
✔ Northwoods Partners
✔ Olivia Hospital & Clinic Foundation
✔ One Heartland
✔ The Open Door
✔ Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless
✔ Operation HELP
✔ Opportunity Neighborhood
✔ Park Nicollet Foundation
✔ Pawsitive Perspectives Assistance Dogs (PawPADs)
✔ Pawsitivity Service Dogs for Veterans
✔ PeaceMaker Minnesota
✔ People Incorporated
✔ People Serving People Charities
✔ PFund Foundation
✔ Plymouth Christian Youth Center
✔ PRG, Inc.
✔ Print the Love
✔ PRISM
GIVING GUIDE SPRING 2025 continued...
✔ ProAct, Inc.
✔ Project FINE
✔ Project For Pride In Living, Inc.
✔ Project Success
✔ Reach for Resources
✔ The Reading Center / Dyslexia Institute of Minnesota
✔ Rebuilding Together Minnesota
✔ Regions Hospital Foundation
✔ Retrieve a Golden of the Midwest (RAGOM)
✔ Rise
✔ River Valley Riders
✔ Saint Anthony Park Area Seniors
✔ Second Harvest Heartland
✔ Semcac
✔ Senior Community Services
✔ ServeMinnesota
✔ Simpson Housing Services, Inc.
✔ Sing Out Loud
✔ Small Sums
✔ Sojourner Project, Inc.
✔ Solid Ground
✔ St. Cloud Municipal Band
✔ St. Croix Valley Foundation
✔ St. David's Center for Child & Family Development
✔ St. Louis Park Emergency Program
✔ St. Paul Youth Services
✔ Stepping Stone Emergency Housing
✔ Steve Rummler Hope Network
✔ Tanzania Life Project
✔ Tasks Unlimited
✔ Three Rivers Park District Foundation
✔ Tree Trust
✔ Trellis
✔ Tubman
✔ Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, Inc.
✔ Twin Cities Public Television
✔ United Way of Douglas & Pope Counties
✔ United Way of Hastings
✔ United Way of Southeast Minnesota
✔ Vail Communities
✔ Valley Outreach
✔ VEAP
✔ The Village Family Service Center
✔ VocalEssence
✔ WACOSA
✔ Washburn Center for Children
✔ WellShare International
✔ Western Communities Action Network, Inc. (WeCAN)
✔ Westfields Hospital & Clinic Foundation
✔ Wilderness Inquiry
✔ Wings for Widows
✔ Wishes & More
✔ WithAll
✔ Women's Advocates, Inc.
✔ Women's Foundation of Minnesota
✔ WomenVenture
✔ Youthprise
✔ YWCA of Minneapolis
REVIEWS IN PROGRESS
On March 15, 2024, the nonprofits listed as “Review in Progress” were working with Charities Review Council to attain or renew their Meet Standards® status. View an up-to-date list at SmartGivers.org/organizations
African Development Center of Minnesota
Alight (formerly American Refugee Committee)
Black Collective Foundation MN
CAPI USA
Catholic Charities Twin Cities
Eastside Meals on Wheels, Inc.
EMERGE Community Development
Exodus Lending
Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys
Great River Rescue
H2O For Life
Homes Within Reach (also known as West Hennepin Affordable Housing Trust)
MoveFwd (formerly Teens Alone)
Northeast Youth & Family Services
Northside Achievement Zone
Opportunity Partners
The Phoenix Residence Inc.
Pillsbury United Communities
PROP (People Reaching Out to People)
Southside Family Nurturing Center
Stillwater Public Library Foundation
Urban Boatbuilders
Volunteer Lawyers Network
Wallin Education Partners
White Bear Area Food Shelf
White Bear Lake Area Historical Society
Woodbury Options for Women
2550 University Ave W Suite 200N Saint Paul, MN 55114 (651) 224-7030
SmartGivers.org info@smartgivers.org
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THE SMART GIVER
SHOWING UP FOR CAUSES YOU CARE ABOUT
Supporting the issues you care about can take many forms, from financial contributions to direct action. How can you leverage your power as an informed donor?
Call your legislators, and make your voice heard. A phone call from a constituent carries significant weight. Elected officials need to hear from their communities to understand what matters most. Many nonprofits provide scripts and action alerts to help guide your conversation, making it easy to advocate.
Connect to your network to amplify the mission and message of your favorite nonprofits. Social media is a powerful tool for raising awareness.
Engaging with a nonprofit’s content—liking, sharing, and commenting—helps expand their reach and increase visibility for their mission and timely initiatives. By connecting your personal and professional networks to the causes you support, you help drive more attention and resources to organizations making a difference.
Invite an organization you believe in to demonstrate their strength by referring them to the Council. When a nonprofit completes the Accountability Wizard® review process, they join the Council’s list of reviewed nonprofits and can display the Meets Standards® seal that signals transparency and impact, increasing trust among potential donors and partners. SmartGivers.org/Donors/Refer
By showing up in these ways, you can help strengthen the organizations and movements that matter most to you.