My Nonprofit Reviews
ecochuck
Review for St. Joseph's Indian School, Chamberlain, SD, USA
I keep checking on the validity of this organization and know that they are a 501c3
http://www.stjo.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_501c3
.....but since they're 'religious' they don't have to report their administrative costs. http://www.guidestar.org/organizations/46-0235912/st-josephs-indian-school.aspx#recommendations WHY should they be exempt????????
It just sounds suspicious. They are completely outside of some of the best practices for 'savvy donors':
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=419
According to 'The Non-Profit Times', "The average American believes that a charity should spend no more than 23 percent on overhead but that charities actually spend 36.9 cents on the dollar."
http://www.thenonprofittimes.com/news-articles/survey-charities-should-spend-23-on-overhead/
If they don't report anything, how do we know how they use the donations???
I want to check out any charities, before I blindly donate to them. (e.g. Better Business Bureau?)
http://interact.stltoday.com/pr/non-profits/PR111113112115009
It is VITAL to support our Native American population. I just want my donations to go where they are most effective......
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If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Report how your donations are spent and what the administrative costs are, so we can be sure the there are not any 'fat cats' at the top of your organization who are the main beneficiaries of my donation.
Will you volunteer or donate to this organization?
Unlikely
How much of an impact do you think this organization has?
A little
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2013
St. Joseph’s Indian School is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) regarding our finances. We believe it is a better use of time and resources to submit to a comprehensive review of our organization, rather than the limited assessment provided by the Better Business Bureau. The evaluation with COA includes visits to the school, interviews with staff and families of the children, and evaluates more than just our finances. More information can be found at www.stjo.org/bbb. You may contact us at 1-800-341-2235 if you have any additional questions.
Review for St. Joseph's Indian School, Chamberlain, SD, USA
I did some research and found that South Dakota has 7 of the 10 poorest counties in the US! ( http://www.onjinjinkta.com/native/reservationindex.html ) Note: Since they're a religious organization (St Joseph's) they're not evaluated by 'Charity Navigator' ( http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?keyword_list=st+joseph%27s+indian+school&Submit2=GO&bay=search.results ) I carefully select what organizations I donate to and feel that this one deserves my contribution.
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Was your donation impactful?
Definitely
How likely is it that you would recommend that a friend donate to this group?
Definitely
How likely are you to donate to this group again?
Definitely
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
Thank you for your comment and support! Life on the reservations in South Dakota is extremely difficult. Many children never make it past 8th grade, suicide rates are high, and drug and alcohol abuse is extremely common. In addition to providing an education, home, food, medical, dental, and a safe environment for over 200 Lakota Sioux Children every year, St. Joseph's also provides outreach programs to several South Dakota reservations.
Thank you for your comment and support! Life on the reservations in South Dakota is extremely difficult. Many children never make it past 8th grade, suicide rates are high, and drug and alcohol abuse is extremely common. In addition to providing an education, home, food, medical, dental, and a safe environment for over 200 Lakota Sioux Children every year, St. Joseph's also provides outreach programs to several South Dakota reservations. In terms of Charity Navigator, St. Joseph’s Indian School is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) regarding our finances.The evaluation with COA includes visits to the school, interviews with staff and families of the children, and evaluates more than just our finances. More information can be found at www.stjo.org/bbb.
