WBZ Cares: Cradles to Crayons Is Highly Rated By a Charity Evaluator
BOSTON (CBS) - The WBZ Cares Campaign continues for the month of September.
Each month, WBZ Newsradio 1030 highlights a worthy non-profit organization and tells the story of what it does for the community.
For the month of September, WBZ profiles "Cradles to Crayons," a Boston-based organization which provides children from birth through age 12 with essential items - clothes shoes, school supplies and toys - which they need to thrive at home, at school, and at play. There are more than 300,000 children ages 0-12 who live in low-income situations in Massachusetts.
Cradles to Crayons has been given a 4-star rating by Charity Navigator, the country's largest charity evaluator. They've won this high rating for the 8th year in a row.
"We're very proud of this," says Anne Bonner, the Director of Development Operations at Cradles to Crayons. "Only two percent of the charities that work and register their results with Charity Navigator achieve that goal, and that should give donors or people who are thinking of donating to us a lot of confidence that we're very responsible with our money," Bonner says, "and that the money is going where people want it to go, to program support, and that we're very transparent with our financials."
Bonner says fundraising is a constant need. "It's challenging, but we have a great team here who really work well together, and we have received amazing support, " says Bonner. "We've grown so fast since we've started, and that's because so many families have responded to our working model of volunteering with us as families and community groups, and businesses have been great as well."
As the "money lady" at Cradles to Crayons, Bonner says donations are always appreciated from everyone. "No gift is too small, no gift is too large," says Bonner. "We have a lot of annual partners that are helping us, and we have kids sending us the money they made from their lemonade stand."
If you'd like to learn more about Cradles to Crayons, or wish to make a donation, go to their website at cradlestocrayons.org.