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Nonprofit Lender Is Nation’s Highest-Rated Community Development Organization

Nonprofit small business lender ACCION New Mexico has been named the highest-rated community development nonprofit in the country this month by the nation’s largest independent charity evaluator.

The top honor is part of Charity Evaluator’s online 2006 Holiday Gift Giving Guide, a two-month project to help guide the public in charitable giving during the holiday season. Charity Navigator rates a total of 5,021 charities nationwide. ACCION New Mexico was the highest-rated among 109 organizations classified as Community and Housing Development and the only New Mexico organization among the top-rated charities in the November edition of the guide. (www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/content.view/cpid/521.htm)

“We commend ACCION New Mexico for its commitment to fiscal responsibility and to protecting the personal information of contributors,” said Sandra Miniutti, Charity Navigator’s vice president. “The fact that ACCION is also the top-rated Community and Housing Development charity on our site should further assure donors that their generous contributions are going to a well-managed charity.”

Charity Navigator uses publicly available tax returns filed with the Internal Revenue Service and bases its evaluations on two broad areas – organizational efficiency and organizational capacity. Charities are compared using seven financial ratios and performance categories. Based on those metrics, charities are then assigned a rating, ranging from zero to four stars, and the overall rankings are updated monthly. The assessment of a charity’s finances is also accompanied by a review of its commitment to keeping donors’ personal information confidential. Miniutti commended ACCION for its written donor privacy policy as part of the organization’s strong donor stewardship.

ACCION New Mexico received four stars and an overall rating of 68.82 – the highest rating in the Community and Housing Development category, based on 2004 tax return information. The statewide organization received a 38.82 for its organizational efficiency, which rates how efficiently and responsibly ACCION functions in its day-to-day management. The organization received a 30.00 for organizational capacity, which rates ACCION’s ability to sustain its program over time.

ACCION New Mexico is dedicated to community development by increasing access to business credit. The organization offers small business loans at competitive market rates to underserved entrepreneurs. Since its 1994 inception, ACCION has financed the start-up or growth of more than 2,160 businesses in more than 150 communities throughout New Mexico through 3,614 loans totaling more than $19.3 million. To make a donation, call Lynn Trojahn at 1-800-508-7624, ext. 230. For more information about Charity Navigator, go to www.charitynavigator.org or call (201) 818-1288.

Check out coverage by the New Mexico Business Weekly:

"ACCION Earns Top Honors from Watchdog Group"

ACCION New Mexico, a nonprofit micro-lender, has been awarded the highest nonprofit rating in the country in the category of Community and Housing Development by a national watchdog group.

albuquerque.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2006/11/13/daily36.html?jst=b_ln_hl

Media Inquiries:

ACCION New Mexico
Leslie Hoffman, communications director
(505) 243-8844 ext. 238
(505) 270-0285 cell

Charity Navigator
media@charitynavigator.org
(201) 818-1288