Military non-profit receives highest rating from Charity Watch for fiscal responsibility

Rockville, MD, June 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Charity Watch, one of the nation’s premier charity rating agencies, awarded Fisher House Foundation with its 2019 A+ rating for the 13^th straight year.  

An Air Force service member takes a break from arduous rehabilitation to visit his family at Fisher House.

Of the 56 military and veterans’ charities that Charity Watch rates, only one other, Semper Fi Fund, received an A+ rating.  Only 16 charities were listed as “Top-Rated Veterans & Military Charities,” with an A- rating or above.

“The coveted rating places Fisher House Foundation among the top non-profits in the nation,” said Ken Fisher, Chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation. “I know I speak for everyone at the Foundation when I say we work hard to ensure we are good stewards of the resources entrusted to us by a generous public.”

Formerly called the American Institute of Philanthropy, Charity Watch claims to be fiercely independent and does not charge charities to participate in the review process. “Because over 95% of our donations comes from small, individual donations, we have the freedom to speak openly and without concern for special interests cutting out funding,” Charity Watch writes in its Rating Guide.  “Charity Watch’s standards for evaluating charities are considered the most stringent in the sector.

Fisher House Foundation also has received the coveted 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator.  This is the 15^th consecutive year the Foundation has been noted for its sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency by Charity Navigator, with an overall score of 99.83 out of 100.  These ratings put Fisher House in the top one percent of nonprofits they monitor.

Additionally, we are proud to announce that Fisher House Foundation recently earned the 2019 Platinum GuideStar Nonprofit Profile Seal of Transparency, the highest level of recognition offered by GuideStar, the world’s largest source of nonprofit information.  GuideStar allows us to share our metrics that highlight our progress toward our mission of supporting military, veterans and their families.

Thanks to the support Fisher House Foundation receives, we recently opened our 84^th home. These “comfort homes” are built on the grounds of military and VA medical centers. Upon completion, the homes are donated to VA or DoD who manage them in perpetuity, allowing the Foundation to continue building more Fisher Houses.         

About Fisher House

Fisher House Foundation is best known for a network of 84 comfort homes where military and veterans’ families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment.  These homes are located at major military and VA medical centers nationwide, and in Europe, close to the medical center or hospital it serves. Fisher Houses have up to 21 suites, with private bedrooms and baths.  Families share a common kitchen, laundry facilities, a warm dining room and an inviting living room.  Fisher House Foundation ensures that there is never a lodging fee.  Since inception, the program has saved military and veterans’ families an estimated $451 million in out of pocket costs for lodging and transportation.

Fisher House Foundation also operates the Hero Miles Program, using donated frequent flyer miles to bring family members to the bedside of injured service members as well as the Hotels for Heroes program using donated hotel points to allow family members to stay at hotels near medical centers without charge.  The Foundation also manages a grant program that supports other military charities and scholarship funds for military children, spouses and children of fallen and disabled veterans.

www.fisherhouse.org

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Kerri Childress, Vice President of Communications
Fisher House Foundation
301-633-4409
kchildress@fisherhouse.org