NYPAS
New York Philanthropic Advisory Service
What is the New York Philanthropic Advisory Service?
Established in 1986, The New York Philanthropic Advisory Service is the signature program of the Education & Research Foundation of the Metropolitan New York Better Business Bureau, which serves New York City, Long Island and the Mid-Hudson region.
NYPAS' mission is to promote public confidence in local charities and encourage charitable giving. NYPAS provides the public with information on specific charities and wise giving practices and also advises charities on how to meet and maintain high ethical standards of operation.
Each year NYPAS reviews hundreds of financial statements, tax filings, annual reports, solicitations, direct mail pieces and special event information. Based on this information, provided by the charity or obtained from the Charities Bureau of the Office of the Attorney General, NYPAS determines if a charity meets the Better Business Bureau's Standards for Charity Accountability. NYPAS then produces a report with its determination and summary of the charity's mission, activities, governance and key financial information. Charity reports are generally updated every two years. Each charity is also provided with the opportunity to update their report in the interim year.
We publish all our reports, on over 790 charities, in full, in our Online Giving Guide, which is available to all on our web site. It is used by the general public, New York Better Business Bureau member companies, numerous foundations, individual donors and members of the local press.
The Online Giving Guide is a great resource to learn about a charity BEFORE you give.
Charities are selected for coverage at their request or as a result of donor inquiry. If your organization would like to become part of the NYPAS program, please visit How to Create a Report on Your Charity for more information.
If you are a potential donor and have not been able to find the charity you are interested in on our website, please feel free to contact us. We are always updating reports or adding new charities to the program. If we do not have a report on the charity, we will contact it and consider adding it to the program.
The National Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance produces The Wise Giving Guide, which is available quarterly. Individual copies and subscriptions for The Wise Giving Guide can be ordered online (click here).
