LEXINGTON, Ky. — Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency have earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator.  

“We have been serving people in Appalachia for more than 50 years. We are committed to being good stewards with the funds provided by our donors,” said Guy Adams, CAP’s president/CEO. “Nearly 85 cents of every dollar go toward services that support children and their families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities in Eastern Kentucky.”

Since 2002, using objective analysis, Charity Navigator has awarded only the most fiscally responsible organizations a 4-star rating. In 2011, Charity Navigator added 17 metrics, focused on governance and ethical practices as well as measures of openness, to its ratings methodology.  These Accountability and Transparency metrics, which account for 50 percent of a charity’s overall rating, reveal which charities operate in accordance with industry best practices.  These metrics also rate the openness that charities demonstrate with their donors and stakeholders.
 
“Based on its 4-star rating, people can trust that their donations are going to a financially responsible and ethical charity when they decide to support Christian Appalachian Project,” according to Michael Thatcher, President/CEO of Charity Navigator. “Only a quarter of charities rated by Charity Navigator receive the distinction of our 4-star rating. This adds Christian Appalachian Project to a preeminent group of charities working to overcome our world’s most pressing challenges.”

Christian Appalachian Project currently operates 16 direct human service programs, including child development, elderly visitation, housing, day and overnight camps, emergency services, counseling, in-home respite, food and clothing assistance, and disaster relief. The primary service area includes Rockcastle, Jackson, McCreary, Floyd, Johnson, and Martin counties in Kentucky. Surrounding counties also benefit from CAP programs and services which directly touch the lives of more than 11,000 people and indirectly touch the lives of more than 1.5 million people in Appalachia annually.

“We are grateful for the generous support of our donors and partner agencies,” Adams said. “Poverty continues to present challenges to families that call Appalachia home. A 4-star rating by Charity Navigator signals to our current and prospective donors that CAP continues to use the funds entrusted to us to transform lives.”