About the Metro New York Seal Program
The Education and Research Foundation of the Better Business Bureau
Serving Metro New York (New York Metro BBB Foundation) offers local New
York charities that meet its standards the option of applying for a BBB
NY charity seal that can be displayed both online and in solicitation
materials. The seal provides the public with a clear, concise, and
easily recognizable symbol that the charity adheres to the New York
Metro BBB Foundation's strong and comprehensive standards. Only
charities that meet the new standards and are located in the NY Metro
area are eligible to apply for the seal. Participation in the seal
program requires a license agreement and a fee, which is based on a
sliding scale.
Participation in the seal program is optional. The New York Metro
BBB Foundation reports on New York charities that have been the subject
of recent inquiries from potential donors, regardless of whether that
charity intends to apply for the seal or not. The New York Metro BBB
Foundation reports on both charities that meet and do not meet its
standards, and does not charge charities a fee in order to be reviewed.
All the New York Metro BBB Foundation's charity reports are accessible
to the public at no charge on this website.
In recent years, a variety of charity accountability issues have
been in the public spotlight. Many charities are concerned about this
and are seeking ways to distinguish their operations and to assure
donors that their organizations are operating responsibly. The goal of
the New York Metro BBB Foundation seal program is to offer a highly
visible accountability tool that will help inform donors, assist
charities in establishing their commitment to ethical practices and
encourage greater confidence in giving.
New York charities' participation in the program is wholly
voluntary. To qualify for use of the seal, the New York charity must be
found by the New York Metro BBB Foundation to meet its revised
standards, sign a licensing agreement and pay an annual fee. The fees
will be directed towards establishing and monitoring the seal program
and helping to support the New York Metro BBB Foundation core reporting
activities.
The annual fee is determined by a sliding scale based on the level of
the charity's total public contributions for the past fiscal year. The
fee amount ranges from $50 for a charity with $100,000 or less in
contributions revenue to a maximum of $5,000 for a charity that
receives public contributions totaling $60 million or more. If you are
a New York charity and are interested in applying for the seal, please
email us at nypas@newyork.bbb.org, or call 212-358-2873 stating your
organization's interest and the name and title of the individual at
your organization who will handle seal application activities.