An Organization You Can Trust
Save the Children works to create lasting, positive change in the lives of children in more than 50 countries worldwide, including the United States. With 75 years of history and more than 37 million children and 24 million adults benefiting from our programs, Save the Children has built a name that children and communities can trust.
It is because of our commitment to children that Save the Children is ranked high among other non-profit organizations. Below are just a few of the ratings and evaluations:
American Institute of Philanthropy
Most Recent Rating for Save the Children: A
The American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP) is a non-profit charity watchdog and information service that rates approximately 500 major U.S. charities. Overall ratings are available on their website. Ratings are updated annually using data from the IRS Form 990 and audited financial statements. AIP measures (a) the percentage of expenditures spent on program activities and (b) the cost to raise $100. Based on these figures, they determine a charity’s overall rating (in the form of a letter grade).
BBB Wise Giving Alliance 
An evaluation of informational materials provided by Save the Children Federation to the BBB Wise Giving Alliance shows that the organization meets all of the Standards for Charity Accountability in effect at the time of the review.
The BBB Wise Giving Alliance is a national charity watchdog affiliated with the Better Business Bureau system. Unlike other charity monitoring groups that focus solely on a review of charity finances, the Alliance completes comprehensive, in-depth evaluations of the charity's governance, fund raising practices, solicitations and informational materials, as well as how it spends its money.
Most Recent Rating for Save the Children: Four Stars
Charity Navigator is a non-profit organization that provides online ratings of the financial health of more than 5,000 U.S. charities. Ratings are updated annually based on data the charity reports on its IRS Form 990. Charity Navigator applies an overall rating (zero-to-four stars) based on a combination of organizational efficiency and capacity. By guiding intelligent giving, Charity Navigator aims to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace in which donors, and the charities they support, work in tandem to overcome the nation's most persistent challenges. In June 2009, Save the Children received Charity Navigator's eighth consecutive four-star rating.
In addition, in March 2008, the independent evaluator released its "10 of the Best Charities Everyone’s Heard Of" list for 2008. Save the Children has ranked on this list for the past three years.
How does Charity Navigator compile their list? They select "...large, complex organizations with budgets exceeding $100 million, and at least $65 million in net assets. They became household names in part because of their exceptional financial management, no easy feat considering the scope and size of their operations. Charitable givers should feel confident that these national institutions put their donations to good use.
Most Recent Rating for Save the Children: Charitable Commitment 91%*
The Forbes charity list is an annual survey of approximately 200 non-profits, published each November. The survey reflects data available from a charity’s most recently filed IRS Form 990. The Forbes charity list aims to measure a charity’s level of efficiency for a given year and, if possible, the trend in efficiency over a series of years.
Save the Children’s website is tested and certified daily to pass the “McAfee Secure” Security Scan
McAfee is the largest dedicated security company in the world. It proactively secures systems and networks from known and as yet undiscovered threats worldwide. McAfee Secure web sites are certified as providing the highest level of protection for their shoppers. To help address concerns about possible hacker access to confidential data, and the safety of visiting or shopping at certain sites, the "live" McAfee Secure mark appears only when a site passes the daily McAfee Secure tests.
*Charitable Commitment is the ratio of program services expenses to total expenses.
View our financial information
Last Updated July 2009
