Metro NY BBB: How the BBB Accredited Charity Seal works

How It Works   |   About Accreditation   |   Fees   |   License Agreement   |   Current Seal Holders   |   Apply

There is no charge for participating in a BBB charity report evaluation, which compares your organization's practices to the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. Metro New York's BBB Foundation staff will answer your questions about the standards and report development process, conduct the evaluation and produce a BBB report for online publication - all for free.

Regional charities which publicly solicit donations and operate in the Metropolitan New York area - including New York City, Long Island and the Mid-Hudson Region - are likely to be eligible for a BBB charity report prepared by the BBB Foundation of Metro New York. Nationally soliciting charities are reported on by the team at Give.org. To learn more about your organization's eligibility for a Metro New York BBB charity report, please contact us directly for information: charity@newyork.bbb.org.

Charities that submit information to enable a BBB charity report, and that meet all BBB standards upon evaluation, are automatically considered BBB Accredited and so noted in the online BBB charity report, at no cost. 

The BBB Accredited Charity Seal is a valuable fundraising tool! It instantly identifies your charity as a nonprofit that has met high accountability standards, in an independent evaluation conducted by a widely-known and respected accrediting organization - the Better Business Bureau.

Since BBB report development is conducted on behalf of charities without any fee, participating charities agree not to use the Better Business Bureau (BBB) name or BBB Accreditation in communications or fundraising, unless the charity first meets all BBB standards and then voluntarily joins the BBB Accredited Charity Seal Program.

Only licensed BBB Accredited Charities in good standing may display the BBB Accredited Charity Seal. There is a modest sliding scale fee for BBB Seal Holder program participation, based on the organization's fundraising revenue. Seal Holders also sign a licensing agreement which explains how the seal may be used and the requirements for ongoing seal program eligibility.

The BBB Accredited Charity Seal program is optional. Some charities become BBB Accredited without choosing to join the Seal program. 

However, many charities do participate in the Seal Holder program in order to make the most of their BBB Accreditation when fundraising and communicating with the public. For more information about Seal Holder benefits in Metro New York, please contact us at charity@newyork.bbb.org.

Is your charity interested in displaying the BBB Seal? Contact us to apply today!