Geffen Playhouse Earns Coveted 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator

GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE EARNS
COVETED 4-STAR RATING FROM CHARITY NAVIGATOR

Los Angeles, CA – Geffen Playhouse’s sound fiscal management practices and commitment to accountability and transparency have earned it a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator. Receiving four out of a possible four stars is Charity Navigator’s highest rating. Only a quarter of the charities evaluated receives this highest rating, indicating that the Geffen Playhouse outperforms most other charities in America.

Since 2002, using objective, data-driven analysis, Charity Navigator has awarded only the most fiscally responsible organizations a 4-star rating. In 2011, Charity Navigator added 17 metrics, focused on governance and ethical practices as well as measures of openness, to its ratings methodology. These “Accountability & Transparency” metrics, accounting for 50 percent of a charity’s overall rating, reveal which charities have “best practices” that minimize the chance of unethical activities and whether they freely share basic information about their organization with their donors and other stakeholders.

“Geffen Playhouse’s coveted 4-star rating puts it in a very select group of high-performing charities,” according to Michael Thatcher, President & CEO of Charity Navigator. “Out of the thousands of nonprofits Charity Navigator evaluates, only one out of four earns 4 stars, a rating that demands rigor, responsibility and commitment to openness. Geffen Playhouse’s supporters should feel much more confident that their hard-earned dollars are being used efficiently and responsibly when it acquires such a high rating.”

“It’s important our donors trust that we’re using our funding wisely to accomplish the Geffen Playhouse’s mission,” said Gil Cates, Jr, Executive Director. “Our 4-star rating demonstrates to our supporters that we take our fiduciary and governance responsibilities very seriously.”

Geffen Playhouse’s rating and other information about charitable giving are available on www.charitynavigator.org. More-detailed information about Geffen Playhouse’s rating is available to Charity Navigator site visitors who become registered users, another free service.

Geffen Playhouse has been a hub of the Los Angeles theater scene since1995. Celebrated for its world-renowned mix of classic and contemporary plays, provocative new works and second productions, the not-for-profit organization continuously garners national recognition. Named in honor of entertainment mogul and philanthropist David Geffen, who made the initial donation to the theater, the company was founded by Gilbert Cates. Proudly associated with UCLA, it welcomes an audience of over 130,000 yearly, maintaining extensive education and community engagement programs, designed to involve underserved youth and the community at large. www.geffenplayhouse.org