CCFW sees stars. Again.

Volunteers Matthew Wurster, left, and Bryan Trachier pack bags of food for clients who use the services of Catholic Charities during a day of service for CCFW, on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022 at the offices of Catholic Charities in Fort Worth. (NTC/Ben Torres)

For the 12th consecutive year, Catholic Charities Fort Worth earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, validating its long track record of responsible stewardship. Charity Navigator evaluates more than 195,000 charities each year to identify the most effective and financially healthy charitable organizations.

Josh Audi, CCFW chief financial officer, said only three percent of charities earn four stars from Charity Navigator. He explained that Charity Navigator “provides a high-level overview that is accessible to everyone … it helps people understand the financial health of a charity.”

Audi said about 93 percent of CCFW’s funds are directed toward programs with only seven percent used for administration and fundraising.

“The policies we have established help us be better stewards of God’s gifts,” he said.

Audi also noted that CCFW’s internal research and evaluation team contributes to the effectiveness of its programs as well as its financial health. He said the team provides CCFW’s program leaders with valuable data and feedback to evaluate all aspects of a program so they can determine whether what they are doing is helping clients, and how much it’s helping them. 

“We want to really know what’s making a difference with our clients and what’s changing lives from a measurable impact,” Audi said.

“It’s about continuously trying to find the balance to have the most impact we can with the funds that we have,” he added. “Our core focus is getting people out of poverty for good, so they don’t ever have to come back to a charity.”