American Friends of Tel Aviv University (AFTAU) — a nonprofit organization that is the fundraising arm of Tel Aviv University (TAU) in the United States — has been awarded the coveted four-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest and most-utilized third-party evaluator of charities. AFTAU earned the prestigious recognition for the ninth consecutive year, a distinction that only five percent of the 1.5 million charities evaluated have received, demonstrating the organization’s exceptional financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency.

“We are honored and proud to receive this rating for the ninth consecutive time,” said Jennifer Gross, Chief Executive Officer of AFTAU. “We take our commitment to donors and the University very seriously and we are pleased to be recognized for fiscal responsibility and transparency to donors and partners.”

“This exceptional designation from Charity Navigator sets American Friends of Tel Aviv University apart from its peers and demonstrates to the public its trustworthiness,” according to Michael Thatcher, President and Chief Executive Officer of Charity Navigator.

AFTAU pursues the advancement of TAU in the U.S. and globally, raising funds, awareness, and influence. TAU educates over 30,000 students studying in 32 schools across the spectrum of sciences, humanities, and the arts, and is consistently ranked in the top 20 in the world in terms of scientific citations and among the top 100 universities internationally.

Since 2002, using objective analysis, Charity Navigator has awarded only the most fiscally responsible organizations a 4-star rating. In 2011, Charity Navigator added 17 metrics, focused on governance and ethical practices as well as measures of openness, to its ratings methodology. These Accountability & Transparency metrics, which account for 50 percent of a charity’s overall rating, reveal which charities operate in accordance with industry best practices and whether they are open with their donors and stakeholders. On June 1, 2016, Charity Navigator upgraded its methodology for rating each charity’s financial health with CN 2.1. These enhancements further substantiate the financial health of 4-star charities.