First Ballot Inductees

At Charity Navigator, we do what we do because we believe, from our board chair to our newest employee, that we can make the world a better place through our work. Not everyone agrees with our philosophy, our metrics, our approach, or our methodology. And some of you have let us know that. But we get up every day, and we do the best we can to give donors unbiased information they can use to make informed giving decisions, and then we come back the next day.

And when someone undoubtedly smarter than us stands up and tells us that they appreciate our efforts, I'll be damned if I'm not going to take a minute to thank them, and to salute the people who work with me for a job well done.

If you click here, and then click on the slide show labeled "Philanthropy Hall of Fame," you'll find the following message from America's #1 weekly business magazine: "To mark the fifth year BusinessWeek has compiled an annual ranking of top philanthropists, we have put together a Philanthropy Hall of Fame comprising standout individuals and campaigns that revolutionized the process of giving through their unique contributions and personal commitments to important causes. This following list is completely subjective. It is not based on who donated the most money, though many candidates have contributed substantial amounts to their respective charities. Rather, these are individuals, organizations, and campaigns that have changed the way we engage in philanthropy."

Charity Navigator is #23 on the list. It's heady company, as we come right after Ted Turner, Bill and Melinda Gates, and Warren Buffett, and it's heady praise, as they argue that we have changed the way people engage in philanthropy. Thanks for noticing, BusinessWeek. And more importantly, to the people who do the work at Charity Navigator and those of you out there who utilize it to be better philanthropists, thank you. We proudly accept induction to this Hall of Fame.

(For more BusinessWeek coverage of our work, click here.)