Sights for Hope Attains Highest Rating from World’s Largest Nonprofit Evaluator


Sights for Hope has attained the maximum four-star rating from Charity Navigator, the world’s largest and most utilized evaluator of nonprofit organizations.

With Charity Navigator’s ratings update on November 1, Sights for Hope qualified for the four-star rating. That rating reflects that Sights for Hope “exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in its cause.” Charity Navigator introduced its star rating system with its latest update to complement its numeric scores.

Charity Navigator evaluates organizations based on their financial health, accountability, and transparency. Its purpose is to provide donors free access to data, tools, and resources to guide their philanthropic decisions. Charity Navigator has rated nearly 200,000 nonprofits globally and its database is accessed more than 11 million times per year.

Sights for Hope also has earned the 2022 platinum seal for transparency from Candid for providing extensive up-to-date information on the GuideStar by Candid digital platform. Organizations that earn that distinction are considered among the top 1% of American nonprofits with respect to transparency.

“We are especially pleased to receive Charity Navigator’s highest rating as the holiday season approaches and global economic conditions have tightened,” said Dennis Zehner, Executive Director and CEO of Sights for Hope. “While people will continue to practice philanthropy during this time of year, it is critical for them to be assured that their gifts are used effectively and properly. We pride ourselves in providing impact efficiently for our donors, and this rating reflects our continuous dedication.”

Sights for Hope’s affiliated Sights for Hope Endowment Foundation also earned a 2022 platinum seal for transparency from Candid.

Sights for Hope transforms the lives of people with visual impairments and blindness by removing the barriers to their independence. Sights for Hope’s services teach adaptive skills to accomplish daily life activities; provide supports that counter the effects of visual impairments and blindness; increase access to medical care, healthy food, and other essentials; and advance solutions that enhance sight capabilities. More than 40% of Sights for Hope’s clients live below or near the federal poverty line. Founded in 1928, Sights for Hope carries forward in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley and Monroe County a tradition of service inspired by Helen Keller and is a member of the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind.

Image: A diverse group of people holding a sign displaying Sights for Hope’s logo and its four-star rating from Charity Navigator