Investment Chart Meaning

Expense Allocation by Function, Year-to-Date through July 7, 2026

As part of our continued effort to strengthen financial transparency, we will begin sharing high-level snapshots that help the CGA family better understand how organizational resources are being stewarded.

This chart shows how CGA’s year-to-date expenses are distributed across three core functions: programming, administration, and development. In plain language, it helps us see how the dollars CGA spends are directed across mission delivery, organizational operations, and fundraising capacity.

CGA’s current allocation shows 60% toward programming, 35% toward administration, and 5% toward development. Nationally, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance standard recommends that charities spend at least 65% of total expenses on programs, while Charity Navigator notes that many donors look for roughly 70% or more directed to programs, though it cautions that ratios alone do not prove impact.

This means CGA is close to commonly referenced benchmarks while also recognizing that we are in a season of strengthening infrastructure, financial management, fundraising, and operational systems. These investments matter. As the National Council of Nonprofits notes, overhead is not inherently negative; administrative and fundraising costs are part of what allows nonprofits to deliver their missions effectively and sustainably.

Together, these percentages give us a simple but important view into fiscal stewardship: how CGA is investing its resources, sustaining operations, and keeping mission delivery at the center of our financial decisions.