Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’ Charity Navigator rating recently changed. The following statement explains the change and the reasons for it. CMN Hospitals has received a four-star rating for the past several years and in an effort to be transparent we wanted to make you aware of the change. 

Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has earned a three-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator. This organization rates charities on financial performance, accountability and transparency.

Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals scored perfectly in transparency and accountability and high in most other categories. In addition, the children’s charity proved to have one of the industry’s lowest costs per dollar raised (the amount needed to raise one dollar) at just eleven cents — much lower than the industry average of 20 cents.

Changes to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals evaluation can be attributed to the organization’s decision to make long-term investments in growth opportunities over the past several years. This includes hiring additional personnel to expand fundraising programs and developing a mobile application to improve fundraising for member hospitals. While a reduction in reserved funds negatively impacts a Charity Navigator rating, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has strengthened its long-term fundraising viability, and as a result of these investments has already seen record fundraising numbers for its 170 member hospitals, raising in 2017 more than $388.6 million.

By comparison, other well-known children’s charities like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Save the Children received a three-star rating.