How Alerts Work
Charity Navigator's Alert Issuance Committee publishes reports of potential or confirmed misconduct or other questionable practices being investigated by the media or a government agency, in accordance with our alert methodology.
Committee Considerations
In issuing an alert, the Committee considers the following:
- The credibility and timeliness of the information.
- The nature, scope, and seriousness of the allegations or convictions.
- Whether or not the allegations have been proven.
- Other factors on a case-by-case basis.
Levels of Alerts
There are four levels of alerts.
| Alert Levels | An Organization Receives this Alert if: |
|---|---|
| Review Before Proceeding | Matters of concern relating to the organization have been reported in a media outlet that Charity Navigator deems reliable, but to Charity Navigator's knowledge, no legal proceeding has commenced, nor is the matter of a legal nature; or issues arise in a nonprofit's state charitable registration (e.g. a nonprofit is delinquent in the State of California). |
| Proceed With Caution | A credible media outlet (as determined by Charity Navigator) has reported that a government agency or a private third party has filed charges or brought a claim as part of a pending legal proceeding, alleging that the organization or its managers have engaged in illegal conduct, including but not limited to financial wrongdoing, discrimination, or violation of data security laws. |
| Proceed With Increased Caution | A credible media outlet (as determined by Charity Navigator) has reported that the organization is engaged in bankruptcy proceedings; or the organization has been found through a legal proceeding to have engaged, or have managers who have engaged, in illegal conduct, including but not limited to financial wrongdoing, discrimination, or violation of data security laws. |
| Giving Not Recommended | The organization lacks 501(c)(3) status; or a credible media outlet (as determined by Charity Navigator) has reported that the organization has engaged, or has managers who have engaged, in substantial fraud or misrepresentation relating to the organization's charitable purposes or activities, as determined through a legal proceeding. |
Charity Navigator relies on publicly accessible information, either reported by a reasonably credible media outlet or announced in a press release by a relevant regulatory body. Our team regularly monitors news relating to the nonprofit space for material which falls within our alert methodology.
Notification and Review Process
Charity Navigator makes a good-faith attempt to notify organizations of Charity Navigator's intention to issue an alert prior to publication. Organizations are encouraged to submit additional contextual or counterfactual information for the committee to review, either before or after publication, for potential prevention or removal of an alert.
Charity Navigator values accountability and transparency, and organizations that can demonstrate the falsity of a media report or that they have taken good-faith efforts to implement corrective action in response to the cited issue, and have been transparent with their donors around the cited issue and those corrective actions, may have their alert prevented or removed.
In the event that submitted information does not warrant prevention or removal of the alert, organizations are always afforded the opportunity to submit a statement for publication alongside the published alert.
Alert Duration and Final Review Timelines
No alert is meant to exist in perpetuity, and Charity Navigator regularly monitors news relating to alert-affected organizations to ensure that we are providing our users with the most up-to-date information possible. In the event that a significant length of time elapses with no new information related to an active alert, our team will automatically initiate a final review of the alert, which may result in removal if no new substantive information is present. The timelines are as follows:
| Alert Level | Final Review Initiated After |
|---|---|
| Review Before Proceeding | 12 months with no new substantive information |
| Proceed With Caution | 18 months with no new substantive information |
| Proceed With Increased Caution | 24 months with no new substantive information |
| Giving Not Recommended | 36 months with no new substantive information |
Coverage and Frequency
Alerts are available for all nonprofits with 990s (not just those that Charity Navigator has rated). At any given time, there are usually about 20,000 active alerts. Alerts are updated weekly.
To learn more about how alerts are generated, click here.