In December of 2013, Charity Navigator awarded the DMRF the prestigious 4-star rating for good governance, sound fiscal management, and commitment to accountability and transparency. Only one quarter of the charities received the highest rating. According to Charity Navigator guidelines, receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that the DMRF adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way.
As I noted back when I posted in 2011, the DMRF’s organizational efficiency rating has always been very high, reflective of the DMRF’s strong commitment to working as efficiently as possible. In 2013, we scored 100 out of a possible 100 points in the category of Accountability & Transparency.
Information on our programs, financial reports, tax filings and operating plan are all available on our website.
Mark Rudolph
Treasurer, DMRF Board of Directors
Previous Stories
For each of the 4 years ending in 2008, the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (“DMRF”) had received a 3-star rating or higher from Charity Navigator. For 2009, the DMRF received a 2-star rating and we want our donors, prospective donors and members to know the reasons for this decrease. The decrease is solely due to a decrease in the DMRF’s Organizational Capacity rating score. This score measures the DMRF’s revenue and program expense growth over a 4-year period as well as 2009’s working capital ratio. The DMRF achieved significant revenue and commensurate program expense growth in the years prior to the economic downturn. It is against this increased historical base that the 2009 revenues and expenses are reflecting negative growth.
Even with these reduced revenues as compared to prior years, the DMRF funded 19 research grants, fellowships and research contracts in 2009 and funded 25 in 2010. The DMRF has been serving the dystonia community for 35 years; we are committed to stimulating research and providing support to those affected by dystonia until it is no longer needed.
It is important to note that the DMRF’s Organizational Efficiency rating, the measure of how an organization manages program and non-program expenses (or “how well it functions, day-to-day,” per Charity Navigator), is the highest it has been in 5 years, reflective of the DMRF’s strong commitment to working as efficiently as possible. In fact, the DMRF’s Organizational Efficiency rating has varied by less than 1 point over these past five years.
For more information on our programs, financial reports, tax filings and operating plan, please visit the DMRF’s web site.
Mark Rudolph
Treasurer, DMRF Board of Directors
Review from CharityNavigator
DMRF helps to create awareness, research and outreach to the half of million people living with Dystonia in North America alone. With amazing, dedicated and hard-working staff, they help to people meet others with Dystonia. I was born with Dystonia and not diagnosed correctly until age 24. This is when I found the DMRF. Almost 10 years later, because of all the support of the foundation, I met other people with Dystonia, was inspired to have deep brain stimulation surgery from talking to peers, and have meet people on online support groups all over the nation and participated in a local fundraiser and some medical conferences. DMRF created an outlet that my family and I were searching for almost all my life. They truly changed my life.