With the coronavirus pandemic closing in on its second full year, charitable organizations' needs have continued to grow.
Giving Tuesday, happening Nov. 30, is just the day to help out.
The Tuesday that follows Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday is dedicated to taking some of that money typically spent on the holidays and donating it to a charity. And what better charity to donate to than a local one?
Last year, many non-profits in Utah had to cancel fundraisers that help sustain them year-round, and the need for donations and volunteer hours was extremely high. This put an added level of strain on them as more people were utilizing their services because of losing work hours. Many of them hoped Giving Tuesday would give them a boost.
Thankfully, employment numbers are nearing pre-pandemic levels this year, and more Utahns could be in a position to donate.
If you're able to give this year, Charity Navigator is an excellent resource to find the charities that will put your dollars to the best use doing the most good. The site grades charities based on expenses, fundraising efficiency, working capital ratio, program expense growth, liabilities to assets, governance, policies and transparency.
It also includes several additional scores to help donors find the charities that operate successfully:
The Impact & Results score, which "estimates the actual impact a nonprofit has on the lives of those it serves, and determines whether it is making good use of donor resources to achieve that impact," according to charitynavigator.org.
The Leadership & Adaptability score "provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission," the site states.
The Culture & Community score "provides an assessment of the organization's engagement with the constituents it serves, a practice we term Constituent Feedback," according to the website. "When organizations listen to constituents, they are able to better deliver on programs and meet the needs of stakeholders. A future version of this Beacon will also assess an organization's people operations and its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) metrics."
We've listed the Top 10 Utah charities that have received four stars.
Crossroads Urban Center
347 S. 400 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
888-747-8482
crossroadsurbancenter.org
"Crossroads Urban Center helps to organize low income, disabled, and minority Utahns to be advocates on their own behalf in addressing essential issues affecting the quality of their lives," according to the charity's description. "We also provide direct services to help meet basic survival needs. We are part of a tradition of service in the Salt Lake area that goes back to 1881. When Crossroads was formed in 1966, an emergency food pantry and thrift store quickly emerged as focal points for community involvement. Crossroads has initiated and developed dozens of new community organizations to provide services not otherwise available in our community."
Crossroads Urban Center received a 98.10 financial score and a 100 score for accountability & transparency.
YWCA Utah
322 E. 300 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
801-537-8604
ywcautah.org
YWCA Utah received a 97.40 financial score and a 100 on accountability & transparency.
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance
435 E. 100 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
801-486-3161
suwa.org
"Since 1983, SUWA has been the only independent organization working full-time to defend America's redrock wilderness from oil and gas development, unnecessary road construction, rampant off-road vehicle use, and other threats to Utah's wilderness-quality lands," according to charitnavigator.org. "... The mission of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance is the preservation of the outstanding wilderness at the heart of the Colorado Plateau, and the management of these lands in their natural state for the benefit of all Americans."
SUWA earned a financial score of 100 and an accountability & transparency score of 97.
Make-A-Wish Foundation of Utah
771 East Winchester
Murray, UT 84107
800-262-9474
utah.wish.org
"Make-A-Wish Utah creates life-changing wishes for Utah children with critical illnesses," the site states. "We are on a quest to bring every eligible child's wish to life, because a wish is an integral part of a child's treatment journey. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight a critical illness."
Make-A-Wish Utah received a financial score of 99, and an accountability & transparency score of 97.
National Ability Center
1000 Ability Way
Park City, UT 84060
435-649-3991
discovernac.org
"The National Ability Center empowers individuals of all abilities by building self-esteem, confidence and lifetime skills through sport, recreation and educational programs," according to Charity Navigator.
The National Ability Center earned a 96.41 financial score and a 97 for accountability & transparency.
Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Intermountain Area
935 E. South Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84102
801-363-4663
rmhcslc.org
"Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Intermountain Area provides a temporary home-away-from-home that serves and sustains families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at area hospitals, as well as providing support to other programs that assist children in our community," the site states. "Children heal faster and cope better when surrounded by their loved ones. We have been helping families for over 20 years since a group of community leaders came together to open the Ronald McDonald House in Salt Lake City in 1988."
Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Intermountain Area earned a 95.18 financial score, and scored 100 for accountability & transparency. It also received a score of 100 for Leadership & Adaptability.
And Justice For All
205 N. 400 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84103
801-924-9000
andjusticeforall.org
"And Justice for All believes access to justice is a fundamental right in our society," according to Charity Navigator. "And Justice for All is committed to providing legal services, free of charge, for Utah's most vulnerable citizens - people living in poverty, individuals with disabilities, veterans, seniors, minorities and victims of domestic violence. We work with law firms, attorneys, judges, legal staff and other community partners to help ensure that Utahns across the state have access to the legal system, regardless of income level, disability, age or minority status."
And Justice For All scored 95 for financial and 100 for Accountability & Transparency.
Utah Food Bank
3150 S. 900 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84119
801-978-2452
utahfoodbank.org
"Utah Food Bank Fights Hunger Statewide," according to the website. "... We work tirelessly with community partners and volunteers to continue making an impact. Utah Food Bank staff, volunteers and agencies work together to gather and distribute emergency food to individuals and families experiencing the pain of hunger in Utah. ... Our resources include a large warehouse, four semi-tractors, and eight box trucks, as well as our valuable affiliation with Feeding America. With these resources, Utah Food Bank is able to collect, store and distribute large quantities of food for the entire state of Utah."
In addition to a financial score of 94.73 and an accountability & transparency score of 100, Charity Navigator also gave Utah Food Bank an impact & results score of 100.
Adopt-A-Native-Elder Program
328 W. Gregson Ave.
Salt Lake City, UT 84115
435-649-0535
anelder.org
"The Adopt-A-Native-Elder Program supports the traditional Elders who live in the cultural and spiritual traditions of The Dine (Navajo) People," according to the charity's description. "Most live in remote portions of the Dine's reservation. The Program provides food, simple medicines, clothing, fabric and yarns to help these Elders live on the land in their traditional lifestyle. As they have become elderly, it has become more difficult for them to support themselves on the Land in their traditional ways. The Program supports 500 traditional Elders who live in the Northern portion of Arizona and Southern Utah."
The Adopt-A-Native-Elder Program received a 96.35 financial score and a 96 accountability & transparency score.
American Indian Services
3115 E. Lion Lane Suite 320
Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121
801-375-1777
americanindianservices.org
"The mission of AIS has been a simple one: to create programs and generate funding that will help Native Americans receive a quality education, while still preserving the culture and honoring the heritage of Native Americans," according to charitynavigator.org. "AIS believes that it is through education that Native Americans will be able to protect their history and culture. Our goal and hope is that as Natives achieve individual success they'll be better able to provide support for their communities and positive change for future generations."
American Indian Services received a financial score of 94.35 and an accountability & transparency score of 100.
Other four-star charities in Utah according to Charity Navigator include Christian Center of Park City,Charity Vision, Voices for Utah Children, United Way of Utah County, Special Olympics Utah, United Way of Northern Utah, The Humane Society of Utah, Fourth Street Clinic, Guadalupe School, Utah Symphony & Orchestra, Eye Care for Kids, Globus Relief, HawkWatch International, Hale Centre Theatre, The Road Home, Habitat for Humanity Utah County, and Mentors International.