October 19, 2018
The Lupus Research Alliance Chief Financial Officer Debra Rose is quoted in an article in Consumers Advocate about nonprofits gaining accreditation by impartial organizations such as the BBB Wise Giving Alliance (WGA).
BBB Wise Giving Alliance “is dedicated to evaluating national charities and reporting on their practices. Just as the Better Business Bureau focuses on consumer protection and industry self-regulation, the Wise Giving Alliance performs the same function for charitable organizations. They do the research and compile the data so donors can make informed decisions when selecting a charity to support. And they promote high standards of conduct for charitable organizations. Local Better Business Bureaus similarly report on regional charities”
To encourage sound charity practices, the Wise Giving Alliance established 20 Standards for Charity Accountability that became the foundation of a comprehensive accreditation process. The WGA codified the principles of charity administration and called for charities to voluntarily adhere to them. This voluntary accreditation process soon became the model for effective charitable monitoring and review.
Complying with these standards gives charities a twofold benefit. First, it confers distinction and includes them in a community of responsible, self-regulating charitable organizations. It provides charities with a roadmap to ethical and efficient operation. This helps charities achieve their primary goal: to help people effectively and efficiently. Second, complying with the WGA standards confers legitimacy on a charity in the eyes of potential donors. Accredited charities have the option of displaying the national charity seal by signing a licensing agreement and paying an annual fee.
“We are very proud to meet the WGA criteria that tells donors the Lupus Research Alliance is a non-profit they can trust to invest in the highest quality science with the greatest potential to help people with lupus.”
-Debra Rose, Chief Financial Officer, Lupus Research Alliance.
