Como Friends Receives 4-Star Rating
Como Friends Awarded Highest Rating by Charity Navigator
Como Friends, the non-profit organization that supports Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, was awarded the highest rating, 4-stars, from Charity Navigator, America’s leading independent charity evaluator. The honor comes to Como Friends as a result of sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency. Receiving this honor indicates Como Friends’ exemplary governance, commitment to ethical practices, transparency and consistent execution of its mission in a fiscally responsible way.
Charity Navigator awards only the most fiscally responsible organizations, such as Como Friends, a 4-star rating. Using data-driven analysis of 17 governance and ethical practices as well as measures of openness allows Charity Navigator to report unbiased and accurate findings in charitable excellence. Only 25 percent of charities evaluated receive the highest rating, indicating that Como Friends outperforms most other charities in America.
Over the past decade, Como Friends has contributed over $31 million to Como Park Zoo and Conservatory for annual programs and operations, capital improvements and the creation and growth of an endowment fund. Its work also helps to keep Como Park Zoo and Conservatory free of charge for 2 million annual visitors.
Como Friends’ rating and other information about charitable giving are available on www.charitynavigator.org.
The mission of Como Friends is to inspire community generosity to advance Como Park Zoo and Conservatory as a destination where people from all walks of life can gather, learn and enjoy the natural world. Since incorporating in 1999, Como Friends has contributed over $30 million to Como Zoo and Marjorie McNeely Conservatory for visionary capital improvements, creation and growth of endowment funds and annual investments in programs and improvements to benefit animals, gardens and visitors.
Charity Navigator is the largest charity evaluator in America and its website attracts more visitors than all other charity rating groups combined. The organization helps guide intelligent giving by evaluating the Financial Health and Accountability & Transparency of roughly 5,500 mid-to-large sized charities that garner roughly 50% of all private contributions made in the USA each year (not including houses of worship). Charity Navigator accepts no advertising or donations from the organizations it evaluates, ensuring unbiased evaluations, nor does it charge the public for this trusted data.
