Silver Spring, Maryland--Rising 161 places in the annual Philanthropy 400 rankings, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) placed 204th among the nation's top 400 charities, besting its previous year's ranking of 365, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, a bi-weekly newspaper focused on the non-profit world and the top news source for charities.
ADRA's climb in the overall rankings has been a direct result of the generosity of private and corporate donors, whose contributions totaled nearly $103 million in 2007 alone. This is important for ADRA in light of the recent downturn in the U.S. economy.
"Our commitment to the communities that we serve around the world is reflected in the integrity of our work, with more than 95 percent of the funds that we raise being used for direct humanitarian assistance," said Julio Muñoz, bureau chief for marketing and development at ADRA International. "We are grateful for the generosity and confidence that our donors have in us, as we work to bring hope to millions of people in need."
This achievement is in addition to ADRA's accreditation with the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, which awarded ADRA its Charity Seal for the fifth consecutive year in recognition of the agency's efficiency and its commitment to transparency and accountability. ADRA also maintains a four-star rating with Charity Navigator, the nation's largest independent charity evaluator.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy bases its Philanthropy 400 rankings on the amount of funds that organizations raise from private donors, including individuals, foundations, and corporations. This information is gathered primarily from tax return forms filed by non-profits with the Internal Revenue Service, in addition to annual reports, financial statements, and a questionnaire based on tax information.
In order to qualify for this year's list, each nonprofit had to raise at least $49.6 million in private funding, up from $42 million in 2006.
According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the most essential component used in ranking organizations is their ability to attract support from U.S. donors, rather than government institutions or international sources.
Since 2004, ADRA has appeared in the prestigious Philanthropy 400 list. This year, ADRA is joined by other organizations, such as Georgetown University, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and the World Wildlife Fund.
Additional information on the Chronicle of Philanthropy's list of 400, can be found online at http://philanthropy.com.
ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race, or ethnicity.
Additional information about ADRA can be found at www.adra.org.
Author: Nadia McGill
Media Contact: John Torres, Senior Public Relations Manager, ADRA International 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 Phone: 301.680.6357 E-mail: Media.Inquiries@adra.org
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
