Direct Relief Ranked as 99 Percent Efficient in Fundraising by Forbes

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Direct Relief International has received a near perfect score of 99 percent in fundraising efficiency from Forbes, according to a special report on “America’s 200 Largest Charities” on the magazine’s Web site.

This new rating continues an eight-year period during which Direct Relief has earned a fundraising efficiency score of 99 percent or better.

The average score in the fundraising efficiency category for 2009 was 91 percent.  Only 14 other groups on the list were rated as 99 percent efficient in fundraising, and only two of the 14 are based in California.

Forbes' annual rating of 200 top American charities calculates three major efficiency ratios for each nonprofit: charitable commitment, fundraising efficiency, and donor dependency.

Direct Relief received a score of 98 percent in the charitable commitment category, which measures "how much of total expense went directly to the charitable purpose." The average among the 200 groups was 86 percent, with just 21 groups scoring 98 percent or higher.

In the category of donor dependency, which "measures how badly a nonprofit needs [a] contribution to break even," Forbes scored Direct Relief at 105 percent.

Forbes’ rating comes on the heels of other recent positive assessments of Direct Relief by outside groups:

• Chronicle of Philanthropy: Ranked Direct Relief as California’s largest international charity based on private support;
• NonProfit Times: Named Direct Relief as one the top 100 charities in the country;
• Charity Navigator: Named Direct Relief the nation’s #1 “Slam-Dunk Charity”, along with a Four Star rating, in 2008, its most recent rating of the organization;
• Membership in the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance.

Direct Relief was also included in the November 2009 issue of Money in the cover article titled, “What to do with $10,000.”  In the section, “Charity: Help on an Even Larger Scale”, Direct Relief is one of three chosen targets for a $10,000 gift, specifically to provide medical supplies for 800 victims of the next Gulf Coast hurricane.

The full list of Forbes’ ratings and explanations is available at: http://www.forbes.com/2009/11/23/charitable-giving-gates-foundation-personal-finance-charity-09-intro.html.  

2009 U.S. and International Programs Accomplishments

• Efficiency: Direct Relief spent less than one percent of its total expenses on fundraising and less than two percent overall on non-programmatic expenses.
• Emergency Response and Preparedness: Direct Relief responded to the global H1N1 flu outbreak, conflict in Pakistan's Swat Valley, cyclones and typhoons throughout Asia, wildfires throughout Southern California, and flooding in the American southeast, among other events. It also expanded its Hurricane Preparedness Program to additional areas along the U.S. Gulf Coast and Caribbean countries.
• International Medical Programs: Direct Relief provided more than 32 million courses of treatment in 58 countries abroad, with an emphasis on programs focused on maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS, and health system strengthening.
• Through its Direct Relief USA program, Direct Relief now supports more than 1,000 community safety-net clinics in 50 states and is the nation’s first nonprofit recipient of Verified Accredited Wholesale Distributor certification from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.

About Direct Relief International
Founded in 1948, Direct Relief is a Santa Barbara, California-based nonprofit organization focused on improving quality of life by bringing critically needed medicines and supplies to local healthcare providers worldwide. Direct Relief has provided more than $1 billion in privately funded humanitarian aid since 2000, including more than $150 million in assistance in the United States. It has earned a fundraising efficiency score of 99 percent or better from Forbes for the past eight years, and is ranked by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as California’s largest international nonprofit organization based on private support. For more information, please visit www.DirectRelief.org.

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