What do I need to know about the latest Encompass methodology Release?
Charity Navigator metrics are evolving. This Spring, we are re-engineering our ratings to add deeper analysis while maintaining the star system you trust.
The most significant shift is that scoring is moving from "participation" to "quality." This means the detail and accuracy of the data you share will be critical to your final score.
Action Required: Update Your Profile
To ensure your organization is accurately represented in the early weeks of these enhancements go live, we encourage you to log into your portal to:
Update Your Data: Ensure your assessments are up to date. Note that Self-reported data expires after four years.
Refine Your Impact Story: Leverage our new Impact Reporting Tool (for currently star-rated charities only)
Go to the Portal: https://www.charitynavigator.org/portal
Is the 4-star rating remaining the same?
The 4-star rating system remains intact and a 4 star rating remains the ultimate mark of excellence, now backed by even more rigorous data to signal a best-in-class organization.
Please note, we have updated our ratings profile pages for nonprofit organizations. We are including a new “complete profile” banner for 990 eligible organizations who have submitted all assessments, except for the new Impact Reporting tool.
How is the scoring for "Leadership & Adaptability" and "Constituent Feedback" changing?
While several evaluation areas remain the same in our ratings process, we have updated how they are scored to better reflect organizational excellence. Specifically, metrics within Leadership & Adaptability and Constituent Feedback—which were previously scored based on simple participation—are now scored based on the quality of the response provided.
We evaluate the substance of your answers to see how you are actually using feedback and strategic planning to drive results. This shift allows high-performing nonprofits to truly stand out through the depth of their practices.
What are the entirely new metrics for 2026?
Our methodology has been streamlined as we transition to a more precise evaluation system. The updated focus is on the metrics most relevant to modern donor decision-making. We are maintaining the existing metrics but adding a few new metrics.
New metrics that have been added include:
Impact Reporting tool
Workplace Policies
Board-Approved Budget
We encourage you to log into the Nonprofit Portal to ensure your data in these areas is complete and up to date.
What is True Impact?
We are thrilled to announce a major milestone with the new ratings release. For the first time, rated nonprofits are now eligible for a verified impact rating and a formal impact report. The Impact Reporting Tool Pilot is open to the first 500 participants, and will be available to all rated nonprofits later this year. This was previously unavailable to many organizations, but our new system allows you to standardize your results and share a verified story of success with your supporters. Furthermore, our re-engineered backend allows Charity Navigator to be more agile; we can now modify metrics and methodology more quickly to keep pace with the evolving nonprofit landscape, ensuring your rating always reflects current best practices.
How do the Encompass updates help donors?
A major goal of this update was to eliminate the lack of clarity donors often felt regarding what was or wasn’t included in a rating. In the past, it was difficult for donors to tell if a star rating represented one "beacon" or all four.
Our new rendering makes this distinction immediately clear, providing an intuitive "at-a-glance" summary followed by a full, detailed picture. By removing this confusion, we empower your donors to give with more confidence, knowing exactly how your organization has been evaluated and the depth of the data supporting your rating.
Did you leverage nonprofit feedback? How did you listen to nonprofits in the development process?
The new enhanced ratings are designed to address feedback from the nonprofit community.
Feedback is important to us, and we relied on our Consultative Council of Nonprofits leaders and other academic and nonprofit experts in designing the new methodology.
We have removed the barriers that previously prevented many nonprofits from receiving an impact rating, allowing your full story to be told regardless of your mission type. Additionally, we have revamped our backend processes to make submitting data to Charity Navigator easier than ever before.
Impact Reporting Tool Related Questions
Impact has become a central focus for donors. To help you clearly communicate your results, we’ve partnered with True Impact to integrate their impact reporting tool directly into the Charity Navigator Nonprofit Portal for rated nonprofits.
This tool moves beyond simple financial ratios to help you track and share the real-world outcomes of your work. Below is a guide on how to navigate the new widget and where to go for expert support.
How to Use the True Impact Widget
Access the Builder: Log in to your Charity Navigator Nonprofit Portal. Navigate to the "Impact & Measurement" section and click into the "Impact" tab to launch the True Impact interface.
Define Your Impact Model: The widget will guide you through a standardized 5-stage model (Program Development, Reach, Learn, Act, Succeed). You will select a "Cause Category" to find a template that best fits your specific program type.
Input Data Quality: For each outcome, you will be asked to categorize your data as a Guess, Estimate, or Direct Measurement. Note that high-quality data (Estimates and Direct Measurement) is heavily weighted in the new scoring.
Complete the Program Budget: Accuracy is vital here, as the widget uses this data to calculate your Cost per Outcome. Ensure you include both direct and indirect costs for the program year being reported.
Submit for Feedback: Once your sections (Description, Location, Activities, and Budget) are complete, click "Submit for Feedback." Your report will then enter a review phase, during which our team may offer suggestions to strengthen your data.
Key Features to Save You Time
Clone Past Reports: If you are reporting on the same program as last year, use the "Clone" feature to carry over your model and simply update the new year’s data.
Verified Impact Report: Once your report is finalized and published, you can download a Social Impact Report directly from the widget to share with your donors or include in your annual report.
For additional questions regarding True Impact:
Support Email: impactreportsupport@trueimpact.com
Technical Assistance: Contact this address for help with account access, widget bugs, or understanding specific outcome metrics.