White Pony Express (WPE), headquartered in Pleasant Hill and serving all of Contra Costa County, recently received word that the premier nonprofit rating group Charity Navigator has awarded WPE their highest rating possible—100% and 4 stars!
Charity Navigator, the largest of its kind in the U.S., is an organization that evaluates the financial health, accountability, and transparency of thousands of nonprofit organizations based in the United States.
WPE Honored at Charity Navigator’s Twentieth Anniversary
Charity Navigator flew three of its highest rated nonprofit agencies to its headquarters in New Jersey as part of its twentieth anniversary. White Pony Express was among them, participating in a program attended by a distinguished group of philanthropists, funding officers, and community leaders.
At this gathering, Eve Birge, Executive Director at WPE, was interviewed. Introducing her, the host said, “Because of WPE’s great work and outstanding rating on Charity Navigator, they were at the top of the list of organizations to highlight!” Less than one-tenth of one percent of nonprofits earn a perfect score from Charity Navigator.
Candid Award
Adding to this remarkable achievement, WPE also learned that Candid, a recognized national organization formed in 2019 from the merger of GuideStar and Foundation Center, awarded WPE its platinum seal of transparency—their highest accolade! Candid works to provide transparency in the social sector and makes valuable information available to the public about nonprofits.
In Eve’s words, “We are honored by the recognition from Charity Navigator and Candid. This is a reflection of the heartfelt dedication of our founder, volunteers, and staff team. Together we have built a gold standard, replicable food rescue organization that will eliminate hunger when taken to scale. These awards show that the work of WPE is deeply impactful, fiscally responsible, and totally transparent.”
About White Pony Express (WPE): Founded in 2013 by Dr. Carol Weyland Conner with an initial budget of only $800, WPE is a volunteer-powered 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to eliminate hunger and poverty by delivering the abundance all around us to those in need—with love. WPE’s Food Rescue Program operates seven days a week, rescuing a daily average of 12,000+ pounds of high-quality, surplus, fresh food from over 50 local food outlets. This nutritious food is redistributed within 24 hours to 90 nonprofit partner recipients who feed the hungry in our county. Since its inception, WPE has rescued and delivered more than 20 million pounds of nutritious food—equal to 17 million meals—and prevented more than 25,000 tons of CO2 emissions from entering the air we breathe. All of WPE’s services are provided free of charge.
WPE also operates a General Store which distributes new and like-new clothing, educational toys, hygiene kits, and emergency supplies to those in need. In 9 years, we have given away more than 920,000 items.
