This Charity May Not Use Your Donation for 19 Years!
Feb 03, 2023
A nonprofit soliciting you for donations often includes language in its fundraising materials describing the programs your donations will support if you choose to give. What some nonprofits may fail to tell you, however, is that your donation may not be used for 3, 9, 15, or even 19 years or more after you donate! This is decision-critical information for donors who want their donations to address current problems and to support the needs of animals, children, veterans, social justice issues, and other causes that they care about today.
Unlike for-profit businesses, charities do not exist for the purpose of accumulating assets and turning profits to enrich their shareholders. When judging and comparing a nonprofit's financial stability, it is not the case that the one with the most assets is the one most worthy of your donations.
CharityWatch believes it is reasonable for a nonprofit to set aside less than three years’ worth its annual budget for financial stability and possible future needs. When a nonprofit’s available assets in reserve exceeds three years’ worth its annual cash budget, CharityWatch downgrades its final letter grade rating. However, for those donors who do not wish to factor a nonprofit’s high assets into their giving decisions, we continue to show what its financial efficiency rating was prior to being downgraded, as well as its Program % and Cost to Raise $100 fundraising efficiency, which are calculated independently of its years of available assets.
The Years of Available Assets column in the Large Asset Reserves chart, below, reflects how many years a particular nonprofit could continue to operate at the cash spending levels reflected in its rating year without raising another penny of revenue. For example, Negative Population Growth, which tops the chart, could continue to operate at its 2021 annual cash spending level for 19 years without raising another penny of donations or other revenue; Miracle Flights for 16.1 years; and American Bible Society for 7.4 years.
Giving is a fixed pie, remaining steady at about 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) since the mid-twentieth century. Because charitable dollars are limited and society's needs are not, it is vital that nonprofits do not hoard the funds that they raise. There are often dozens of nonprofits conducting programs for a particular cause, such as cancer research, animal welfare and rescue, or assisting the blind. When a few nonprofits working in any particular cause stockpile donations for possible future use, this means these dollars are not available to be used by other nonprofits working in that same cause that could put these resources to use today. Of course, it is ultimately in the hands of each donor to decide if a charity's years of available assets impacts their judgment about its need or worthiness to receive additional donations in the present.
CharityWatch updates our charity ratings and other data continuously throughout the year. The below chart reflects CharityWatch's data only through February 2nd, 2023. For our most up-to-date information please visit our list of High Asset Charities.
| Charity | Fiscal Year | Program % | Cost to Raise $100 | Years of Available Assets | Reported Net Assets | Rating | Reduced Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative Population Growth | 12/31/2021 | 71% | $4 | 19.0 | $21,883,631 | A- | F |
| Research to Prevent Blindness | 12/31/2020 | 94% | $2 | 18.0 | $291,166,944 | A+ | F |
| Air Force Aid Society | 12/31/2019 | 84% | $14 | 17.3 | $210,490,016 | A | F |
| Miracle Flights | 04/30/2021 | 51% | $48 | 16.1 | $46,358,687 | D | F |
| Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights | 12/31/2019 | 61% | $20 | 15.0 | $50,211,020 | B- | F |
| Cystic Fibrosis Foundation | 12/31/2019 | 84% | $29 | 11.7 | $4,236,708,832 | B+ | F |
| Army Emergency Relief | 12/31/2019 | 92% | $7 | 10.3 | $340,538,034 | A+ | F |
| Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Charitable Service Trust | 12/31/2021 | 94% | $1 | 10.0 | $52,521,695 | A+ | F |
| Carter Center | 08/31/2021 | 81% | $12 | 9.9 | $1,240,836,256 | A | F |
| Special Operations Warrior Foundation | 12/31/2019 | 85% | $9 | 9.8 | $99,320,477 | A | F |
| American Action Fund for Blind Children & Adults | 12/31/2020 | 57% | $47 | 9.6 | $36,676,432 | C- | F |
| Shriners Hospitals for Children | 12/31/2020 | 76% | $19 | 9.4 | $10,358,789,000 | A- | F |
| Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee | 12/31/2021 | 83% | $1 | 9.3 | $80,296,032 | A | F |
| Seeing Eye | 09/30/2019 | 81% | $22 | 9.0 | $294,435,000 | A- | F |
| Guide Dogs for the Blind | 06/30/2019 | 79% | $22 | 8.3 | $409,957,000 | B+ | F |
| Cal Farley's Boys Ranch & Affiliates | 09/30/2020 | 67% | $47 | 8.3 | $479,206,457 | C | F |
| American Bible Society | 06/30/2021 | 71% | $37 | 7.4 | $769,187,953 | B- | F |
| Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice | 12/31/2020 | 77% | $14 | 7.3 | $5,959,872 | A- | F |
| Southern Poverty Law Center | 10/31/2021 | 68% | $20 | 7.3 | $769,727,566 | B | F |
| Navy SEAL Foundation | 12/31/2020 | 89% | $3 | 6.8 | $113,459,001 | A | F |
| Hole in the Wall Gang Fund | 11/30/2019 | 76% | $19 | 6.7 | $112,234,039 | A- | F |
| Omaha Home for Boys | 12/31/2020 | 72% | $39 | 6.6 | $85,266,253 | B- | F |
| Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation | 06/30/2021 | 87% | $12 | 6.6 | $143,018,485 | A | F |
| YWCA USA (National Office) | 06/30/2020 | 80% | $9 | 6.3 | $69,610,312 | A | F |
| Southern Environmental Law Center | 03/31/2021 | 87% | $5 | 6.1 | $182,398,657 | A | F |
| Front Range Equine Rescue | 12/31/2020 | 57% | $24 | 6.0 | $6,584,313 | C+ | F |
| Blinded Veterans Association | 06/30/2021 | 38% | $32 | 6.0 | $12,398,951 | D | F |
| National Alliance to End Homelessness | 12/31/2021 | 84% | $3 | 5.9 | $25,637,419 | A | F |
| Guide Dogs of America | 06/30/2019 | 83% | $7 | 5.9 | $45,956,030 | A | F |
| Judicial Watch | 12/31/2021 | 27% | $34 | 5.5 | $312,110,219 | F | F |
| Jewish National Fund | 09/30/2021 | 84% | $7 | 5.4 | $475,968,397 | A | F |
| Braille Institute of America | 06/30/2019 | 70% | $41 | 5.1 | $182,812,333 | C+ | F |
| Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund | 06/30/2021 | 81% | $1 | 4.9 | $8,847,258 | A | C |
| Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society | 12/31/2020 | 82% | $5 | 4.7 | $123,155,057 | A | C |
| Alzheimer's Foundation of America | 12/31/2020 | 83% | $6 | 4.7 | $31,053,095 | A | C |
| Freedom Alliance | 12/31/2019 | 71% | $33 | 4.7 | $38,937,429 | B- | D |
| Fresh Air Fund | 09/30/2019 | 73% | $30 | 4.5 | $134,249,594 | B | C- |
| Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation | 06/30/2020 | 67% | $21 | 4.2 | $116,919,549 | B- | C- |
| Smile Train | 06/30/2019 | 58% | $36 | 3.9 | $338,210,502 | C | D |
| Redwings Horse Sanctuary | 05/31/2020 | 44% | $13 | 3.9 | $6,548,282 | D | D |
| Ploughshares Fund | 06/30/2021 | 77% | $19 | 3.8 | $33,426,951 | A- | C+ |
| Seva Foundation | 06/30/2020 | 75% | $17 | 3.8 | $36,732,384 | A- | C+ |
| Children's Inn at NIH | 06/30/2019 | 66% | $33 | 3.8 | $61,373,929 | B- | C- |
| Ms. Foundation for Women | 06/30/2021 | 73% | $6 | 3.7 | $66,508,543 | A- | C+ |
| Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) | 12/31/2019 | 85% | $3 | 3.7 | $20,435,501 | A | C+ |
| St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | 06/30/2021 | 66% | $18 | 3.7 | $8,973,553,000 | B | C |
| National Urban League (National Office) | 12/31/2021 | 79% | $7 | 3.6 | $292,181,521 | A- | C+ |
| Boys Town | 12/31/2020 | 81% | $45 | 3.6 | $1,547,568,000 | B- | C |
| Brookings Institution | 06/30/2020 | 76% | $5 | 3.6 | $435,964,000 | A- | C+ |
| Foundation Fighting Blindness | 06/30/2020 | 71% | $23 | 3.6 | $155,869,948 | B | C |
| Appalachian Mountain Club | 12/31/2020 | 82% | $18 | 3.6 | $172,047,686 | A- | C+ |
| Resources for the Future | 09/30/2019 | 78% | $32 | 3.6 | $57,192,198 | B | C |
| Animal Welfare Institute | 06/30/2021 | 90% | $1 | 3.5 | $19,531,426 | A+ | B- |
| National Police Defense Foundation | 06/30/2019 | 50% | $36 | 3.5 | $2,578,292 | C- | D |
| National Anti-Vivisection Society | 06/30/2020 | 66% | $19 | 3.4 | $8,144,897 | B | C |
| Pacific Legal Foundation | 06/30/2020 | 76% | $16 | 3.4 | $60,258,878 | A- | C+ |
| Native American Rights Fund | 09/30/2019 | 65% | $33 | 3.4 | $44,426,252 | B- | C |
| American Printing House for the Blind | 09/30/2019 | 80% | $48 | 3.3 | $139,809,564 | B- | C |
| Disabled American Veterans (DAV) | 12/31/2021 | 48% | $47 | 3.3 | $498,646,842 | D | D |
| Solar Cookers International (SCI) | 06/30/2022 | 79% | $8 | 3.1 | $1,994,147 | A- | B- |
| PKD Foundation | 06/30/2021 | 72% | $13 | 3.0 | $22,549,669 | B+ | C+ |
| National Trust for Historic Preservation | 06/30/2020 | 79% | $10 | 3.0 | $325,370,041 | A- | B- |