MainStreet names PAF as second-highest rated national charity in America

The Virginia-based Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) announced today that a new analysis from personal finance news website MainStreet (www.mainstreet.com), also reported on MSN Money, has named PAF as the second-highest rated national charity in America. PAF received a perfect four-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's leading independent charity evaluator, for the second consecutive year in 2011 and a 69.40 out of 70 score for its fiscal performance and operational responsibility, ranking it higher than thousands of other charities in the nation. PAF is the only healthcare advocacy organization of its kind earning a spot in the top-ten rated charities in the analysis.

In its compilation of highest-rated charities, MainStreet looked at the leading charities in the U.S. based on their 2011 Charity Navigator scores, filtering out organizations that operate only locally and those that work mainly to collect and distribute funds to other charitable organizations. To compute the charities' performance scores, Charity Navigator evaluated 5,500 charities in America based on their financial health, accountability and transparency, of which 238 were rated with four stars.

"PAF is honored to receive this distinctive recognition of our ongoing commitment to utmost accountability, fiscal responsibility and dedication to always putting the patient first – which is also evidenced by the fact that we put 91.6 cents of every dollar we collect to patient services," said Nancy Davenport Ennis, PAF Founder and CEO. "Likewise, we are proud that in 2011 we received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for the second year in a row, helping enlighten patients in need as well as the public at large that we are a trusted, ethical and highly effective organization."

The 10 highest rated national charity organizations in 2011 based on the Main Street analysis are: 1) Give Kids The World, 2) Patient Advocate Foundation, 3) Navy SEAL Foundation, 4) Homes for Our Troops, 5) Special Operations Warrior Foundation, 6) Teach For America, 7) Environmental Law & Policy Center, 8) National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 9) Spondylitis Association of America and 10) Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.