EESI Receives Highest Rating from Charity Navigator

For the sixth year in a row, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) is proud to have received a Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator for sound fiscal management and a proven commitment to accountability and transparency. Four is the highest possible rating, and only 11 percent of nonprofits evaluated have received the distinction of receiving a Four Star rating six years in a row. Charity Navigator, the largest evaluator of nonprofits in the country, calculates each charity’s score based on several broad criteria in two categories: transparency and accountability, and financial metrics. EESI is especially pleased to have received the highest possible rating in accountability and transparency, scoring a full 100 out of 100 possible points under Charity Navigator’s criteria.

Through our commitment to transparency, EESI also earned a 2020 Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest level of recognition offered by GuideStar, the world’s largest source of nonprofit information. To earn the Platinum seal, EESI did a major update of the information on our Guidestar Nonprofit Profile, with the inclusion of our refreshed mission and vision, highlights of our recent and upcoming projects and programs, in-depth financial information, and quantitative information about goals, strategies, and progress. By sharing information that highlights EESI’s work toward our mission, GuideStar is helping donors move beyond simplistic measures of nonprofit evaluation such as overhead ratios.

"It’s so encouraging to see our vigorous commitment to accountability and transparency be recognized by two of the top charity evaluators in the United States,” said EESI Executive Director Daniel Bresette. “Our donors make everything EESI does possible, so it's important that we be transparent, accountable, and a good steward of our donors' resources. Advancing climate solutions is so important—we need to make sure our donors feel confident their contributions are being used wisely and with great impact."

“By achieving the highest possible rating for EESI’s transparency, together with recognition of our governance and programmatic excellence, EESI has set a new standard for performance by an environmental nonprofit," said EESI Board Chair Jared Blum. "Our deepest thanks go out to our supporters, staff, leadership, and stakeholders for making these achievements possible.”

For over 35 years, EESI has been a dependable source of credible environmental information. Our esteemed online briefings, fact sheets, policy papers, reports, newsletters, and more are valued by decision makers, the media, and the public. Just this year, we released our new report, A Resilient Future for Coastal Communities: Federal Policy Recommendations from Solutions in Practice—designed as a practical resource for Congress, federal agencies, and the public—to represent a distillation of the findings, recommendations, and case studies identified during EESI’s Congressional briefing series on regional coastal resilience. We continue our commitment to finding sustainable solutions to climate change for a more fair and just society.

We’re proud to have been recognized by GuideStar and Charity Navigator. These exceptional designations differentiate us from our peers and demonstrate to the public that we are worthy of their trust.

About the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) (www.eesi.org)

EESI is an independent, non-profit organization advancing innovative policy solutions to set us on a cleaner, more secure and sustainable energy path. EESI educates policymakers, builds coalitions and develops policy in support of energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable biomass, sustainable buildings, and sustainable transportation. EESI was founded by a bipartisan Congressional caucus in 1984, and its strong relationship with Congress helps EESI serve as a trusted source of credible, non-partisan information on energy and environmental issues. EESI receives no congressional funding and is supported through contributions and grants.

About Charity Navigator

Charity Navigator is the largest charity evaluator in America and its website attracts more visitors than all other charity rating groups combined. The organization helps guide intelligent giving by evaluating the Financial Health and Accountability & Transparency of more than 8,000 charities.

Charity Navigator accepts no contributions from the organizations it evaluates, ensuring unbiased evaluations. In order to remain equitable to all, it does not charge the public for this trusted data. As a result, Charity Navigator, a 501(c)(3) public charity itself, depends on support from individuals, corporations, and foundations that believe it provides a much-needed service to America's charitable givers.

About GuideStar

The GuideStar database contains a profile for every tax-exempt nonprofit registered with the IRS. GuideStar encourages nonprofits to claim and update their profile at no cost to the organization. Updating allows nonprofits to share a wealth of up-to-date information with the more than 8 million people who visit GuideStar to learn more about nonprofit organizations each year. Updating also allows nonprofits to share information with more than 200 philanthropic websites and applications that are powered by GuideStar data.

To reach a given participation level, organizations need to complete all required fields for that participation level. These levels are acknowledged as symbols of transparency in the nonprofit sector and are displayed on all updated participants' profiles in the GuideStar database.