UNITED SPINAL ASSOCIATION ACHIEVES ACCREDITATION FROM BBB WISE GIVING ALLIANCE

Highlighting Excellence in Leadership, Finances and Mission-Driven Work

NEW YORK, April 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- By meeting key standards of board oversight, finances, results reporting and fundraising appeals, United Spinal Association achieved accreditation by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. This accreditation signifies that United Spinal Association is deserving of donor trust as they are a well-run nonprofit organization.

"We are so proud to have been accredited by the Better Business Bureau. It is eagerly-anticipated recognition of our organization's concerted efforts to be fiscally responsible and to efficiently use the contributions of our partners and supporters in the name of fulfilling our mission: for people with spinal cord injuries and disorders to live independent, fulfilling lives in the community," says Vincenzo Piscopo, United Spinal's president and CEO.

The BBB Wise Giving Alliance (BBB WGA) is the nation's only comprehensive charity evaluator, assisting donors in making sound giving decisions. Donors know they can trust a charity if it is accredited by the BBB WGA. Their broad standards go beyond what the law requires and dives deeper than other charity monitoring organizations. Each BBB WGA charity report process involves a rigorous review using 20 holistic BBB Charity Standards, interaction with charity officials about corrective actions needed to address deficiencies, and quality control measures to assure report accuracy. Thousands of charities have reports available to the public at Give.org.

"The public can be assured that every charity evaluation is completed with careful, objective analysis of charity information," says Art Taylor, president and CEO of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, "By achieving accreditation, United Spinal Association has earned public trust having demonstrated its commitment to sound governance, transparency and achieving its mission."

Directed by people with disabilities, United Spinal Association works to overcome the stigma of disability and remove physical barriers to inclusion for wheelchair users. The organization believes that business, people with disabilities and society all benefit from providing equal opportunity to pursue passions, employment, and recreational opportunities. United Spinal's goal is to actively support people with spinal cord injuries and disorders through valuable programs and services that maximize independence and create opportunities to become leaders, advocates, and innovators.

Learn more at www.unitedspinal.org.

ABOUT UNITED SPINAL ASSOCIATION
Formed in 1946 by paralyzed veterans, United Spinal is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to empowering people with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D), including veterans, to live successful and fulfilling lives. Membership is free and open to all individuals with SCI/D, with over 53,000 members across 49 chapters nationwide. Known for its revolutionary advocacy efforts, United Spinal played a significant role in writing the Americans with Disabilities Act, provided important contributions to the Fair Housing Amendments Act and the Air Carrier Access Act, and was instrumental in attaining sidewalk curb ramps and accessible public transportation in New York City, which created the standard accessibility model used in many United States cities.

ABOUT BBB WISE GIVING ALLIANCE
BBB Wise Giving Alliance (BBB WGA) is a standards-based charity evaluator that seeks to verify the trustworthiness of nationally-soliciting charities by completing rigorous evaluations based on 20 holistic standards that address charity governance, effectiveness reporting, finances, fund raising, appeal accuracy, and other issues. National charity reports are produced by the BBB WGA and local charity reports are produced by local Better Business Bureaus – all reports are available at Give.org.

SOURCE United Spinal Association