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bytedisk

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1 reviews

Review for St. Joseph's Indian School, Chamberlain, SD, USA

Rating: 1 stars  

My last donation I questioned the non-transparency of St. Joseph's Indian School.
I use "Charity Navigator" as a source of distinguishing the worthiness of donations of money I worked hard for.
Again I checked the "charitynavigator.org" and it still shows your organization as not rated.
All that is required to be rated is an "Accountability & Finance beacon" or an "Impact & Results beacon".
I cannot continue to donate to a charity that request money but sees no reason to show accountability for the funds their donors contribute.
Another reason I cannot just accept your word for what a wonderful program you have developed and how lucky the Lakota children are by being cared for by such a loving and caring staff would be the same reason as anyone who ever watched the 2017 movie "Indian Horse". This movie, based on a true story, depicts Canada’s notorious Catholic residential schools. The movie highlights the racism and horrible things that happened (in some cases as horrid as child molestation by staff members) to the Indigenous children.
I do not allege such activities have ever occurred at "St. Joseph's Indian School".
My goal is for the organization to be more transparent to alleviate any suspicion or uncertainty of present or potential future donors.
PS. I went to Greatnonprofits and also Candid. Neither did anything to give me a good feeling towards the benefit of your program. One of them (I believe Candid) tried to charge me in order to see accountability and finance.
I'm a big boy, if you find me wrong and can direct me to the info most non-profits provide I will recant my post and admit I'm non-informed of non-profit's. I realize, being a religious program you don't have to report to IRS but if I'm going to continue to donate I need to see how much you are receiving and how it's being spent.

Role:  Donor
stjo1927 (Nonprofit Staff) wrote:

Thank you for your comment. Please know that your concerns matter to us! St. Joseph’s Indian School is not required to file a form 990 by the IRS. Because of this, Charity Navigator will not rate our organization. We are accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA). This accreditation process examines finances, governance, ethics, appropriateness of services and more. Through the Council on Accreditation’s extensive audit process, we receive evaluation by a panel of experts in social service fields. The evaluation, including site visits and interviews with St. Joseph’s staff and families served, assesses more than just finances. In addition, St. Joseph’ is an accredited educational facility by the State of South Dakota. Providing a safe and loving environment is our top priority. We welcome you to call us at 1-800-341-2235 to discuss your concerns about our mission.