Elton John AIDS Foundation Receives Highest Possible Rating from Charity Navigator

9th Consecutive Four-Star Rating; 4th Under New Rating System

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May 14, 2014, 08:00 ET

NEW YORK, May 14, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) announced today that it has received its 9^th consecutive 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, the largest independent charity evaluator in the United States. This is also EJAF's fourth such rating in as many years under Charity Navigator's new, enhanced metrics.

"Receiving four out of four stars indicates that our Foundation consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way, while adhering to good governance and other best practices that ensure ethical and transparent business dealings," stated EJAF Chairman David Furnish. "Only 7 percent of organizations evaluated by Charity Navigator have received four consecutive four-star ratings under the new system, demonstrating that our Foundation is one of the best-run charities in America."

As Charity Navigator President and CEO Ken Berger stated in his announcement letter, "This 'exceptional' designation from Charity Navigator differentiates Elton John AIDS Foundation from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust."

"We cannot begin to express how very proud we are that our Foundation has received this ringing endorsement from America's premier charity evaluator, which has once again provided independent assurance that donations entrusted to EJAF will be well and properly invested in HIV care, prevention, and advocacy programs," added EJAF Executive Director Scott Campbell.

"We have accomplished a great deal over the past two decades," noted EJAF Founder Sir Elton John. "However, we still have a lot of work to do to fulfill our mission of serving vulnerable at-risk populations without judgment, reducing HIV-related stigma and discrimination, educating people about HIV/AIDS, and supporting science-based, culturally-sensitive HIV prevention programming. This is what EJAF has been doing with great success for more than 20 years, and we are deeply grateful to our loyal donors who have helped us continue urgent work."

About EJAF
At the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) we believe that AIDS can be beaten. We act on that belief by raising funds for effective programs and policies, and also by speaking out with honesty and compassion about the realities of people's lives. Sir Elton John created EJAF over twenty years ago, first in the United States in 1992 and then in the United Kingdom in 1993. Through hard work and with the help of our network of kind, amazing, creative, and generous friends and supporters, the two foundations together have raised more than $300 million over the past two decades to combat stigma, prevent infections, provide treatment and services, and motivate governments to end AIDS. The U.S. foundation focuses its efforts on programs in the United States, the Americas, and the Caribbean, while the U.K. foundation funds HIV-related work in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Join us in speaking out, taking action, and contributing to our efforts to achieve a world without AIDS. For more information, please visit www.ejaf.org.

American Airlines is the official sponsoring airline of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

About Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator works to guide intelligent giving. By guiding intelligent giving, we aim to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace, in which givers and the charities they support work in tandem to overcome our nation's and the world's most persistent challenges. Charity Navigator is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization under the Internal Revenue Code and does not accept any contributions from any charities we evaluate.

SOURCE Elton John AIDS Foundation