Earlier this month, the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance (BBB WGA) completed its Charity Review of Center for Neighborhoods (CFN) and confirmed that we meet every one of the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. Our accreditation is valid through May 2027, and the full report can be found here on Give.org.

Why the BBB review matters

BBB’s 20-point rubric covers four big buckets:

• Governance & Oversight (Standards 1-5) – active, independent boards with real financial and policy controls.
• Measuring Effectiveness (Standards 6-7) – clear goals and public reporting on results.
• Finances (Standards 8-14) – audited statements, sensible reserves, and at least 65 % of spending aimed squarely at programs.
• Fundraising & Informational Materials (Standards 15-20) – honest appeals, transparent privacy practices, and open books.

Only charities that meet every standard earn the BBB seal. No partial credit, no pay-to-play.

How CFN stacks up

• Program-first spending: 69 % of every dollar we spent in FY 2023 went directly to education, neighborhood planning, and policy work—well above BBB’s minimum benchmark. Fundraising costs came in at just 3 %.
• Lean but accountable: A nine-member volunteer board—none of them paid staff—meets at least quarterly to review budgets, deliverables, and the Executive Director’s performance.
• Public transparency: Our audited financials, annual report, and impact metrics are all posted on our website and now linked from the BBB report page, so donors can dig as deep as they like.

Looking ahead

Accreditation isn’t an end-zone dance; it’s a diagnostic. The BBB review spotlights what we’re doing right and where we can raise the bar—especially around diversifying revenue and rebuilding unrestricted reserves after last year’s strategic investments.

We encourage everyone—partners, critics, and curious neighbors—to read the full BBB report and hold us to these standards. Accountability is only meaningful when the community keeps score.

(Note: BBB guidelines prohibit using the full report itself as a fundraising brochure; instead, we’ve provided a direct link so you can review the findings firsthand.)