Through the Accountability Wizard that allowed us to increase our capacity to review more charities, donors now have access to more in-depth data of reviewed organizations than ever before. By building relationships with federated campaigns and professional associations, more nonprofits are learning about the benefits of the Accountability Wizard.

Notably in 2007, we conducted the first of its kind statewide public trust survey, providing landmark data on the perceptions and giving habits of Minnesota donors that will be especially helpful to the nonprofit sector in its efforts to strengthen public trust. The survey confirmed that giving and volunteering are staples of Minnesota’s way of life and that

there is a strong connection between trust in nonprofits and levels of giving. To read additional survey findings, visit SmartGivers.org/Survey.

We also enhanced our services to donors, including our free, personalized online My Smart Giver accounts. Registered users can invite charities to participate in reviews and track their status. The Council also partnered with the St. Paul Pioneer Press in its annual 48-page Giving Guide special section, offering smart giving information for the holiday season.

In December, we bid farewell to three of our Board members. We cannot express enough appreciation to Suzanne Busta, Julia Classen and Brad Kruse for sharing their time, talents and vision to help advance the mission of the Council. We are also grateful for the devotion and commitment of all of our donors, volunteers and staff.

We are coming out of a year of invigorating strategic planning. The results, which will guide our work for the next several years, are aimed at ensuring that the Council remains relevant in its ability to provide critically important information to donors and nonprofits. In 2008, we will revisit our Accountability Standards in a grassroots process of gathering input and fostering discussion throughout our communities. This has not been done since 1998, and trends and changes in the nonprofit world make this a timely and relevant initiative. Over the next two years, the Council will undertake a project to increase organizational and individual cultural competence, building our capacity to effectively engage diverse nonprofit organizations and users of the Council’s services.

We remain committed to strengthening the bond between nonprofits and donors by fostering public trust in charities that are accountable to the communities they serve. We look forward to helping donors be informed givers in significant new ways, as well as improving nonprofit understanding of, and compliance with, our Accountability Standards.

Share the word of our services with your friends and neighbors. You can encourage greater confidence in giving by expecting accountability in the charities that you support. Invite charities to participate in a review with the Council’s Accountability Wizard. Invitations from donors like you will let organizations know that reviews are important in demonstrating trustworthiness to those who support them.

By working together, we can help nonprofits advance their important work of serving the community. We thank you for your steadfast support.

Rich Cowles, Exec. Director                James V. Toscano, Board Chair