Almost 400 hundred years ago, the famous English poet John Donne said that “no man is an island.” In many ways, the same can be said for charities as well. While each charity carries out its own mission, they often can achieve greater success by collaborating and working with others seeking to address similar needs. While this is most often seen in the wake of a natural disaster as relief organizations address emergency needs of the impacted population, many other types of charities have achieved greater results by working with communities and other organizations.

As part of our Building Trust Video Series we are pleased to provide a video that features Johannah Barry, President of the Galapagos Conservancy (a BBB Accredited Charity).  The Conservancy is a United States based organization that works to conserve marine and terrestrial ecosystems and their flora and fauna in the Galapagos Islands. Among other things, it supports research and public policy to address the human impact on the Galapagos wilderness. Each of their major programs has a major partner, either another nonprofit organization or a government institution. As you will see in the video, Johannah explains that all of their programs are created in collaboration since they believe without it conservation activities are not going to be effective.

The Galapagos Conservancy is a great example in demonstrating that even on a literal island, you need to work with others to achieve a successful result. The lesson for donors is to look for charities that collaborate to help identify those that may help avoid duplication of effort and are likely to have a better chance in achieving their announced goals and objectives.

We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org or local BBBs to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include: 

• Conservation International Foundation
• National Psoriasis Foundation
• Youth Development Fund 

Finally, remember to let us know by going to https://give.org/ask-us-about-a-charity1/ if you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.  

H. Art Taylor, President & CEO
BBB Wise Giving Alliance