Denver’s Large Charities Rated Healthier than Elsewhere

June 1, 2010
By Denver Business Journal

Denver’s largest charities typically have higher assets, revenue and contribution levels than do their peers in 29 other large U.S. cities, as well as higher expenses.

That’s according to the latest annual Metro Market Study by Charity Navigator, a charity-rating service.

The agency compared data for the Denver area’s 47 largest charities to those in 29 other cities.

It rated Denver No. 11 of the 30 cities in terms of the financial health of its larger charities, with No. 1 (Pittsburgh) being the healthiest.

Large Denver-area charities have median assets of $16.1 million, more than twice the national median of $7.7 million, Charity Navigator said.

It said local charities have median annual revenue of $9 million, versus the national median of $5.2 million, and receive median contributions of $6.3 million, versus the national median of $3.7 million.

Denver-area charities also have higher total expenses — typically $7.8 million a year — than the national median of $4.9 million, Charity Navigator said. But the local nonprofits are spending slightly less of their budgets on administrative expenses: 8.9 percent versus the national rate of 9.6 percent.

Colorado Springs ranks No. 18 among the 30 metro areas in the new study.

Data used in the study come from the charity’s Form 990 tax filings.

Charity Navigator gives its highest (four star) financial rating to the following large Denver-area nonprofits: