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Ozarks Food Harvest earns perfect score from Charity Navigator

Ozarks Food Harvest earns perfect score from Charity Navigator

June 8, 2016 in Food Bank News

Ozarks Food Harvest earned a 100 percent rating last week from Charity Navigator, the leading evaluator of nonprofits in the nation. It was one of only 49 among the more than 8,000 nonprofits evaluated across the country, and the only charity in Missouri, to receive this honor.

“Earning a perfect 100 percent score from Charity Navigator is a testament to the trust we have in this community,” said Bart Brown, president/CEO of Ozarks Food Harvest. “This rating gives current and future donors greater confidence that every $1 donated to The Food Bank is making a tangible impact on the life of someone who is hungry.”

Charity Navigator recently updated its rating system to provide donors better information on how charities perform over time. The improvements include measuring nonprofits’ program, administration and fundraising costs over the three most recent fiscal years, rather than just from the most recent fiscal year. It also added calculating nonprofits’ liabilities to assets ratio as a measure of financial health. This analysis was added to Charity Navigator’s existing measurements that evaluate nonprofits’ transparency and financial accountability.

“This score is based on years of strategic planning and research that has allowed us to most effectively use donors’ contributions to make the biggest difference in the Ozarks, where hunger affects one in four people,” Brown said.

Over the past three years, Ozarks Food Harvest has increased the number of meals distributed per person in need by 27 percent across the 28 counties served in the Ozarks. Today, The Food Bank provides 14 million meals every year. Five counties – Greene, Newton, Ozark, Texas and Vernon – saw at least a 50 percent increase in meals distributed since 2013. And Lawrence, Shannon and Wright counties saw an over 100 percent rise in meal distribution.

Of the 49 charities that earned a perfect score, eight are Feeding America food banks. Ozarks Food Harvest and its leadership had an active role in setting the high standards for the 200 Feeding America food banks nationwide.

“The standards put in place by Feeding America directly contribute to this award from Charity Navigator, and the great strides we’re making to solve hunger in southwest Missouri,” Brown said. “We’re honored and humbled to be a model for success in our community, state and country when it comes to hunger relief.”