Charities Review Council's Spring 2023 Smart Giver Newsletter

THE SMART

DEI (Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion): A Point of Focus for Many Grant-Makers

Why Donors & Nonprofits Should Tune in As Well

"Diverse organizations are more likely than their less-diverse peers to report that they are effective at achieving their mission."

(Center for Effective Philanthropy, Nonprofit Diversity Efforts: Current Practices and the Role of Foundations) Research indicates that organizations with strong DEI programs are also more innovative and have higher employee engagement and retention.

With this in mind, it can be surprising to learn that a recent survey found only 17% of nonprofit leaders report their organizations have a formal DEI strategy in place. (Nonprofit HR, 2022 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Practices Survey Results)

Why don’t more nonprofits have DEI strategies in place? The reasons vary and can be complex. Here is what the Council knows with certainty:

• Increasingly, grant-makers are examining how an organization approaches DEI when making their funding decisions.

• Donors can and should ask organizations about their DEI policies and practices when making their charitable giving choices.

• For organizations that want to move the needle on DEI and realize the positive benefits (creating a more engaged, motivated staff, board, and donor base; better understanding and addressing

community needs; strengthening the organization’s reputation as inclusive and equitable), nonprofits can access the Council’s DEI Toolkit to begin assessing and addressing DEI when it comes to the organization’s people, processes, and power.

Let’s more closely examine just one component of a sound DEI plan to demonstrate the value to an organization, its supporters, AND the community.

Why is diversity within a nonprofit board so beneficial? A diverse board brings a range of perspectives and experiences to the table, which can lead to more creative and effective problem-solving. It also helps ensure the board is reflective of the community, which can build trust and legitimacy with stakeholders.

Additionally, a more diverse board is more likely to attract a diverse base of donors and volunteers, which can strengthen an organization's financial stability and impact.

Nonprofits are stronger when they include a variety of experiences, perspectives, and skills, and utilize practices that nurture creativity and equity.

Donors and nonprofits can find more information regarding DEI and the Toolkit at SmartGivers.org

Photo by Aaron Doucett on Unsplash

STATUS UPDATE WITH KRIS KEWITSCH

Hello, Council Friends!

I’m happy to connect with you this spring through our Smart Giver Newsletter and to highlight just a couple of the activities that have been keeping the Council busy in 2023.

The new year saw the launch of a new pricing structure for our Accountability Wizard® nonprofit review process, our first pricing increase since 2014. Balancing accessibility for nonprofits with financial stability for the Council, we want every nonprofit to have the ability to benefit from the Meets Standards® process and seal, while also ensuring the Council has the resources to continue investing in the technology and updates necessary to maintain valuable, effective online tools for our nonprofit partners. We appreciate the input gathered from constituents leading up to this change and are pleased to report the transition has gone smoothly without interruption.

We have also ushered in a new program this year – Smart Giving for Seniors. As individuals grow older, they become more vulnerable to financial exploitation. Elder rights advocates say protections remain inadequate, even with federal laws in place to help protect seniors. The Council is committed to helping donors of all ages feel informed and secure in their giving decisions, and Smart Giving for Seniors will help seniors stay financially safe and knowledgeable while giving to the causes they believe in. Seniors at Walker Methodist Senior Living Community will receive education and resources, including this newsletter, to help them feel confident in their charitable choices. The Council is grateful to Medica Foundation for their supportive partnership with this endeavor, and we look forward to expanding to additional senior communities across the region with future funding opportunities.

It’s you – donors and nonprofits and grant-makers, in partnership - that make all of this possible. A gift to the Council supports a nonprofit leader who decides this is the year their organization will complete our review process to demonstrate their strong governance and accountability to potential donors. A gift to the Council supports a senior ready to learn more about the changing trends in philanthropy. Your gift to the Council builds trust and strengthens our communities – please consider a donation today by returning the enclosed envelope or scanning the Donate QR code. Thank you!

In partnership,

Kris Kewitsch Executive Director, Charities Review Council

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Melvin Clark

Allianz Investment Management

Carolyn Deters, Treasurer, Indelible | Gifts for Seniors

Garnetta Lowman, Vice Chair, Program Committee Chair

Neka Creative, Consulting

Stacey Nelson-Kumar, Chair Comcast

Molly Raymond

Willow Within

Lisa Zellmer, Secretary & Governance Committee Chair

Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative

Linda Nelson

Olsen Thielen (retired)

STAFF

Dimitri Kaasan-Stull, Program Manager

Kris Kewitsch, Executive Director

Olivia Felland, Donor and Nonprofit Relations Coordinator

MEETS STANDARDS® NONPROFITS

Accountability Standards®

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 operating expenses).

The green checkmark indicates that the nonprofit Meets Standards® . For an up-to-date listing, go to SmartGivers.org/organizations.

Giving Guide Spring 2023

✔ 180 Degrees

✔ 360 Communities

✔ A Breath of Hope Lung Foundation

✔ Accord

✔ Achieve Twin Cities

✔ African Development Center of Minnesota

✔ Age Well Arrowhead Inc.

✔ Alexandra House, Inc.

✔ Alight (formerly American Refugee Committee)

✔ The Alliance

✔ Alliance Housing Inc.

✔ Angel Foundation

✔ Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation

✔ Anu Family Services, Inc.

✔ ArtReach St. Croix

Our 25 Accountability Standards® are co-created 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. Learn more at SmartGivers.org.

✔ Assistance League of Minneapolis/St. Paul

✔ Avenues for Youth

✔ Banyan Community

✔ Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative

✔ Beltrami Neighborhood Council

✔ Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities

✔ Bloom Early Learning

✔ Bolder Options

✔ Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities

✔ 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

✔ CAPI USA

✔ Carmen Pampa Fund

✔ Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud

✔ Center School, Inc.

✔ Charities Review Council (SelfReview)

✔ ChildFund International

✔ Children's HeartLink

✔ Children's Home Society of Minnesota

✔ Children's Law Center of Minnesota

Giving Guide Spring 2023 – continued

✔ City of Lakes Community Land Trust

✔ Climate Generation

✔ CommonBond Communities

✔ Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County

✔ Community Dental Care

✔ Community Resource Connections

✔ Como Friends

✔ Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio

✔ Cookie Cart

✔ Cornerstone Advocacy Service

✔ Cultural Wellness Center

✔ Daily Work

✔ DARTS

✔ DinoMights

✔ Disabled American Veterans of Minnesota Foundation

✔ Dodge Nature Center

✔ Eastside Meals on Wheels, Inc.

✔ Ed Allies

✔ Edina Community Foundation

✔ EMERGE Community Development

✔ Environmental Initiative

✔ Every Meal

✔ EVOLVE Adoption & Family Services

✔ Exercisabilities, Inc

✔ Exodus Lending

✔ Faith's Lodge

✔ The Family Partnership

✔ Family Pathways

✔ Family Resource Center St. Croix Valley, Inc.

✔ Family Tree Clinic

✔ FamilyMeans

✔ FamilyWise Services

✔ Feed My Starving Children

✔ Feeding Our Communities Partners

✔ The Food Group

✔ Foundation for Essential Needs

✔ Franconia Sculpture Park

✔ Fraser

✔ Fresh Energy

✔ Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness

✔ Friends of the Hennepin County Library

✔ Friends of the Mississippi River

✔ Friends of the Ramsey County Libraries

✔ Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys

✔ Give Us Wings

✔ Global Minnesota

✔ GMCC (founded as Greater Mpls Council of Churches)

✔ Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota

✔ Great River Greening

✔ Great River Rescue

✔ Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery

✔ Guild

✔ Haiti Teen Challenge

✔ Hands of Hope Resource Center

✔ HandsOn Twin Cities

✔ Hastings Family Service

✔ Haven Housing of Ascension Place, Inc.

✔ Helping Paws of Minnesota

✔ Hennepin Health Foundation/ Hennepin Healthcare Foundation

✔ Highpoint Center for Printmaking

✔ Hope Community

✔ HopeKids, Inc.

✔ Housing First Minnesota Foundation

✔ HousingLink

✔ Hudson Hospital Foundation

✔ Hunger Solutions Minnesota

✔ Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota

✔ Initiative Foundation

✔ International Institute of Minnesota

Giving Guide Spring 2023 – continued

✔ Iringa Hope

✔ Joyce Preschool

✔ Junior Achievement North

✔ Keystone Community Services

✔ La Oportunidad, Inc.

✔ Lakes & Prairies CAP

✔ Lakes Area United Way

✔ Lakes Center for Youth and Families

✔ Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers

✔ Learning Disabilities Association, Inc. (LDA Minnesota)

✔ LifeSource

✔ Lifeworks Services, Inc.

✔ The Lift Garage

✔ The Link

✔ Listening House of St. Paul, Inc

✔ Listening Point Foundation Inc.

✔ Literacy Minnesota (previously Minnesota Literacy Council)

✔ Loaves & Fishes

✔ Lutheran Partners in Global Ministry

✔ Make-A-Wish Foundation of Minnesota

✔ MATTER

✔ McLeod Emergency Food Shelf

✔ MDIMental Health Minnesota

✔ Merrick, Inc.

✔ 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 Land Trust

✔ Minnesota Music Coalition

✔ Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance

✔ Minnesota Public Radio, American Public Media

✔ Minnesota Valley Refuge Friends

✔ Missions Inc. Programs

✔ Mississippi Park Connection

✔ MORE

✔ MSS

✔ My Very Own Bed

✔ NAMI Minnesota

✔ Neighbors, Inc.

✔ Neuro Hospitality House

✔ New Pathways

✔ Northcountry Cooperative Foundation

Can’t find a charity? Call us at (651) 224-7030.

✔ Northeast Youth & Family Services

✔ NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center, Inc.

✔ Northside Achievement Zone

✔ Northwoods Partners

✔ Open Access Connections

✔ Operation HELP

✔ Opportunity Neighborhood

✔ Opportunity Partners

✔ PACER Center, Inc.

✔ Park Nicollet Foundation

✔ Pawsitivity Service Dogs

✔ PeaceMaker Minnesota

✔ People Incorporated

✔ People Serving People Charities

✔ The Phoenix Residence Inc.

✔ Pillsbury United Communities

✔ Plymouth Christian Youth Center

✔ PRG, Inc.

✔ ProAct, Inc.

✔ Progress Valley, Inc.

✔ Project FINE

✔ Project For Pride In Living Inc.

✔ Project Success

✔ PROP (People Reaching Out to People)

✔ Rainbow Health (formerly

Giving Guide Spring 2023 – continued

JustUs Health)

✔ The Reading Center / Dyslexia Institute of Minnesota

✔ Regions Hospital Foundation

✔ The Reporters, Inc.

✔ Retrieve a Golden of the Midwest (RAGOM)

✔ Rise

✔ Ruff Start Rescue

✔ Saint Anthony Park Area Seniors

✔ SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education)

✔ The Sanneh Foundation

✔ Second Harvest Heartland

✔ Semcac

✔ Senior Community Services

✔ ServeMinnesota

✔ Simpson Housing Services, Inc.

✔ Sing Out Loud

✔ Solid Ground

✔ Southside Family Nurturing Center

✔ St. Cloud Municipal Band

✔ St. Croix Valley Foundation

✔ St. David's Center for Child & Family Developmen

✔ St. Louis Park Emergency Program

✔ Stepping Stone Emergency Housing

✔ Steve Rummler Hope Network

✔ Tanzania Life Project

✔ Tasks Unlimited

✔ Three Rivers Park District Foundation

✔ Touchstone Mental Health

✔ 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 Olmsted County, Inc.

✔ United Way of Southwest Minnesota

✔ Upstream Arts, Inc.

✔ Urban Boatbuilders

✔ Urban Homeworks, Inc.

✔ Valley Outreach

✔ VEAP

✔ The Village Family Service Center

✔ WACOSA

✔ Wallin Education Partners

✔ Washburn Center for Children

✔ Wayside Recovery Center

✔ West Hennepin Affordable Housing Land Trust

✔ Westfields Hospital & Clinic Foundatio

✔ White Bear Center for the Arts

✔ White Bear Lake Area Historical Society

✔ Wilderness Inquiry

✔ Wishes & More

✔ Women's Foundation of Minnesota

✔ World Without Genocide

✔ Youthprise

Giving Guide Spring 2023 – continued

Can’t find a charity? Call us at (651) 224-7030.

Reviews in Progress: On March 17, 2023, 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.

Accessible Space, Inc. (ASI)

Agate Housing & Services (formerly St. Stephen's and House of Charity)

American Relief Agency for the Horn of Africa (ARAHA)

Amherst H. Wilder Foundation

Ampersand Families

Annex Teen Clinic

Association for NonsmokersMinnesota

The BeliEve Foundation

BestPrep

Breanna's Gift

Children's Cancer Research Fund

Children's Dental Services

Christian Appalachian Project

Community Thread

Connections to Independence

Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa

Emma Norton Services

Every Third Saturday Inc.

Friends of the Minnesota Sinfonia

Girls on the Run Twin Cities

Giving Voice Initiative

Hammer Residences, Inc.

HOPE Coalition

ICA – Intercongregation

Communities Association

Jeremiah Program

League of Women Voters

Lighthouse Ministries International of Africa

Lutheran Social Service of MN

Minnesota Council on Economic Education

Minnesota Independence College and Community (MICC)

Minnesota Justice Foundation

Native Ways Federation Inc.

Nexus

One Heartland

Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless

Pawsitive Perspectives Assistance Dogs (PawPADs)

Perspectives, Inc.

Prepare + Prosper

Quiet Oaks Hospice House & Respite Care

Rebuilding the Village

Rebuilding Together Twin Cities

Rein in Sarcoma

Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank

Sojourner Project

St. Paul Youth Services

United Way of the Brown County Area, Inc.

VocalEssence

Youth Frontiers, Inc.

Youth Service Bureau, Inc.

YWCA of Minneapolis

1915 Highway 36 W, Ste. 133

Roseville, MN 55113

651-224-7030

SmartGivers.org

info@smartgivers.org

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THE SMART GIVER

Don’t see your favorite nonprofit on our Meets Standards® list?

Our nonprofit review process is voluntary, meaning organizations can opt-in any time.

Here are three simple steps you can take to encourage a nonprofit you generously support to Meets Standards®:

• Reach out and invite the nonprofit to go through the review process.

• Consider providing the nonprofit a donation to help them cover the cost of a review.

• Connect with Charities Review Council to recommend the nonprofit, and we’ll follow up with them to discuss the review process and answer questions.

Scan this code to access a template with additional language so you can feel confident reaching out to your non-profit: