WATERVILLE, Maine — The Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers' strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency have earned the agency a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's largest independent charity evaluator. This is the first time that The Maine Children's Home has earned this top distinction.
Since 2002, using objective analysis, Charity Navigator has awarded only the most fiscally responsible organizations a 4-star rating. In 2011, Charity Navigator added 17 metrics focused on governance and ethical practices, as well as measures of openness, to its ratings methodology. These Accountability & Transparency metrics, which account for 50 percent of a charity's overall rating, reveal which charities operate in accordance with industry best practices and whether they are open with their donors and stakeholders. On June 1, 2016, Charity Navigator upgraded their methodology for rating each charity's financial health. These enhancements further substantiate the financial health of the 4-star charities.
"The Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers' exceptional 4-star rating sets it apart from its peers and demonstrates its trustworthiness to the public," according to Michael Thatcher, president & CEO of Charity Navigator. "Only a quarter of charities rated by Charity Navigator receive the distinction of our 4-star rating. This adds The Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers to a preeminent group of charities working to overcome our world's most pressing challenges. Based on its 4-star rating, people can trust that their donations are going to a financially responsible and ethical charity when they decide to support The Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers."
"It's very important that our donors trust that we're using their gifts and donations wisely to accomplish The Maine Children's Home's Mission," said The Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderer's executive director, Richard Dorian. "The 4-star Charity Navigator rating demonstrates to our supporters the agency's good governance and financial accountability."
The Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers' rating and other information about charitable giving are available on charitynavigator.org. More detailed information about The Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers' rating is available to registered Charity Navigator users, free of charge.
To learn more about The Maine Children's Home, visit mainechildrenshome.org.
###
About The Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers: The Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers features a full Hague-accredited adoption program that provides assistance to families hoping to adopt internationally or domestically. The Maine Children's Home, founded in 1899, gives children and Maine families hope for the future and a chance at a better life. In addition to the adoption program, the agency offers outpatient counseling, the Teen Parent School Program, The Children's Place Early Care and Education Center, a summer camp scholarship program, and a Christmas Program that provides clothing and toys to underprivileged Maine children.