Guiding Lights

Charity Navigator Rating: 36%, Zero-Star out of Four Star Rating

Guiding Lights has received a low rating of 36% from Charity Navigator, resulting in a Zero-Star rating. This score primarily reflects significant deficiencies in accountability and finance practices. Notably, the organization has no independent board members, which raises concerns regarding governance and oversight. Furthermore, they have failed to implement essential policies, such as a conflict of interest policy, whistleblower policy, and proper document retention and destruction protocols, all of which contribute to their low accountability score.

Despite some strengths, such as a favorable liabilities to assets ratio of 41.18% and a program expense ratio of 58.93%, the absence of independent oversight and missing crucial policies highlight potential risks to the organization’s integrity. The lack of transparency is further underscored by the unavailability of their website information, as the charity did not list its website on its tax form.

In summary, while Guiding Lights maintains a reasonable program expense ratio, its overall governance and accountability practices are significantly lacking. Potential donors and stakeholders should consider these factors carefully before supporting the organization.

This AI summary has been generated from information found on Charity Navigator.

Guiding Lights is a legitimate nonprofit organization registered as a 501(c)(3) entity. Guiding Lights submitted a form 990EZ, which is a tax form used by tax-exempt organizations in the U.S., indicating its operational transparency and adherence to regulatory requirements. Donations to this organization are tax deductible.