You want to donate to a charity, but need to select one. Within the philanthropic category that interests you, there are several dozen charities. Several considerations matter to you, such as:
- Program spending efficiency
- Accountable governance
- Transparency of financial statements
The Challenge
You know that some considerations are more important than others are, but saying precisely how much more is difficult to do. A rating agency has published a list of “highest rated” charities — but you have no idea how heavily they weight considerations that are of little relevance or importance to you. There is something peculiar about such lists, because they seem to suggest that the best fit for one is the best fit for all. You think there must be a better way.
The Solution
After taking the preference survey, your Preference Profile reveals exactly how important each consideration is to you. When combined with actual performance data, you obtain tailored Value Ratings that display how well each charity performs in the areas that matter most to you. Your Value Ratings offer more than basic rankings. For example, they reveal if there are one or two outstanding charities, or perhaps if all the choices cluster together in a mediocre range.
Viewed through your Preference Profile, this complex decision is made simpler
In this example, we see that Charity E and Charity D are leading, but are not outstanding. The remaining charities have mediocre Value Ratings at best. We can compare the best Value Rating (76%) to the worst (34%) to understand that there is a more than two-fold difference between the available choices — despite no clearly superior performer. These are your results. Value Ratings for other people will differ because their underlying preferences differ.
And when decisions are especially consequential, Value Ratings offer additional guidance: Evidence Strength. Evidence Strength tells you when you are witnessing reliably high performance.