For the fourth year in a row, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA) has been recognized as a Four Star Charity by nonprofit evaluator Charity Navigator.

Achieving a Four Star rating — the organization’s highest rating — in consecutive years is also deemed as highly significant. In a letter sent to SBMA, Michael Thatcher, Charity Navigator President and CEO, writes:

“Only 14% of the charities we evaluate have received at least 4 consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that Santa Barbara Museum of Art outperforms most other charities in America.

“This exceptional designation from Charity Navigator sets Santa Barbara Museum of Art apart from its peers and demonstrates to the public its trustworthiness.”

“We are so pleased that the museum has, for the fourth year in a row, received this recognition from Charity Navigator, one of the country’s most respected evaluating organizations,” said Larry Feinberg, SBMA’s Robert and Mercedes Eichholz director..

“We are determined to maintain this same high level of fiscal efficiency and transparency, especially as we continue to raise funds for the current Imagine More Capital Campaign, which support the ongoing renovation project,” he said.

Founded in 2001, Charity Navigator has become the nation’s largest evaluator of charities. In its quest to help donors, Charity Navigator’s team of analysts has examined tens of thousands of nonprofit financial documents.

They use this information to develop an unbiased, objective, numbers-based rating system to assess some 8,000 of America’s best-known and some lesser known, but worthy, charities.

Specifically, Charity Navigator’s rating system examines two broad areas of a charity’s performance: financial health, and accountability and transparency.

Ratings show givers how efficiently they believe a charity will use their support today, how well it has sustained its programs and services over time, and their level of commitment to good governance, best practices, and openness with information.

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art, at 1130 State St., is celebrated for the superb quality of its permanent collection. Its mission is to integrate art into the lives of people through internationally recognized exhibitions and special programs, as well as the thoughtful presentation of its permanent collection.

— Katrina Carl for Santa Barbara Museum of Art.