My Nonprofit Reviews

Dear Susan, Thank you for your support over these past 25 years. We would like to take this opportunity to explain CFCA’s current rating to reassure you that CFCA is very worthy of your ongoing trust and contributions. CFCA receives extremely high results on 21 of the 24 metrics Charity Navigator uses to rate all of the charities that it reports on. Our organization rates highly on important financial stewardship measures. More than 93 percent of our expenses are for program, with only 3 percent for fundraising and 3 percent for administrative costs. Our fundraising efficiency metric is among the best of any organization. This means that more donated dollars go for the intended cause instead of overhead costs. Few charitable organizations can match these results. The capacity metrics are where CFCA received lower scores from Charity Navigator. We simply have a different strategic vision in this area. There are three capacity metrics that examine organizational growth and the amount of funds an organization holds in reserve. While CFCA has grown in total contributions every year, the increase hasn't been as high as Charity Navigator thinks an organization should have. CFCA has a personal approach to sponsorship of children and elderly in need, and believes this makes us uniquely effective. We grow at a moderate pace that allows for successful outcomes. Our reserve fund amount is based on effectively and reliably delivering benefits to those in need over the last 31 years without interruption. CFCA receives a lower score on reserve levels because Charity Navigator believes charities should hold back larger amounts in order to sustain themselves in case future contributions take a downturn, or if other unexpected problems arise. Because we don't rely on large grants from the government, foundations or corporations, we are not subject to dramatic fluctuations in revenue that can accompany reliance on these funding sources. Instead, we have always relied on the regular recurring contributions from our dedicated sponsors who are very committed to their sponsored child or aging person. This allows us to be very sustainable. We hope this helps to explain why CFCA is worthy of your trust and your continued contributions. I would be happy to answer any additional questions you may have. My phone number is 913-384-7153. Martin Kraus, CFCA Director of Finance