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man and woman high fiving

Charity Navigator’s Release Notes

View the improvements made to Charity Navigator’s website, rating criteria and methodology.
2026
April 7
Enhanced Encompass Rating System

General

– Updated ratings with new data.

New: Enhanced Encompass Rating System

More Depth: By combining new and updated metrics, we now score 49 metrics across 10 evaluation areas, providing a more robust scoring system.

– Better Visibility: Instantly spot profile completion with new Beacon Indicators and Profile Banners.

To learn more, please refer to this blog post.

January 21
Version 28

General

– Updated ratings with new data.

2025
December 16
Version 27

General

– Updated ratings with new data.

November 18
Version 26

General

– Updated ratings with new data.

October 7
Version 25

General

– Updated ratings with new data.

– Removed impact ratings based on Impact Genome data.

August 5
Version 24

General

– Updated ratings with new data.

– Introduced a new, information-only Benefits Rate metric for organizations that have >40% in donor support and over $2 million in annual revenue.

June 3
Version 23

General

– Updated ratings with new data.

– Fixed a bug where a subset of organizations with <50% program expense ratios received credit for financial metrics.

Culture & Community

– Removed Equity Strategies Checklist Assessment

April 8
Version 22

General

– Updated ratings with new data.

February 4
Version 21

General

– Updated ratings with new data.

2024
December 15 & November 15
Version 19 & 20

General

– Updated ratings with new data.

August 1
Fall Methodology Update

General

– Calculated new ratings utilizing new 990 data and nonprofit submissions.

Impact & Measurement

– Added submission data to Measurement section.

– Added partial credit indicators.

– Changed display so that pages without a Measurement score do not show the metrics.

Culture & Community and Leadership & Adaptability

– Revised language on Equity Strategies Checklist on our website.

April 8
Spring Methodology Update

Culture & Community

– Constituent Feedback Scoring Methodology was modified as follows: If an organization answered ‘no’ to Question 1 of the How We Listen survey, they are no longer eligible for a Constituent Feedback Score.

Accountability & Finance

– Donor Advised Funds (DAF) Rating Eligibility – DAFs were determined to be ineligible for a rating due to their unusual financial structure. 

Impact & Measurement

– The first set of scores for the Measuring Outcomes Assessment was published for 750 nonprofits.

Rating Profile Pages

– The presentation of the ratings for the Impact & Measurement, Leadership & Adaptability, Culture & Community were harmonized and updated.

2023
September 18
Fall Methodology Update

Culture & Community

– Expanding criteria to include 1 & 2 practices as eligible scores

– Restructured Equity Strategies Checklist scoring scale from 80-100 to 73-100 linear scale. 

Accountability & Finance

– All eligible organizations are given a size classification based on their e-filed 990 data. Size classifications are based on annual revenue.

– All elibile organizations are assigned additional properties based on their e-filed 990 data.

– All eligible organizations are scored on a new methodology based on their size and assigned properties. 

– ~9,000 organizations whose Accountability & Finance scores were harmed due to an abnormal fiscal year in 202 or 2021 had the detrimental 990 dropped from the 3-year average.

Impact & Measurement

– Released 332 Impact & Results scores based on data submitted to Impact Genome.

– Updates 135 existing scores, making adjustments for inflation and new research.

– Released 274 new Impact & Results scores.

– Launched test version of the Capacity for Impact Measurement assessment – charities can enter data but will not be scored.