ECFA membership contributes to the integrity and witness of the entire Christian community.

It's undeniable the image of Christian ministry has been scarred by the actions of a select few organizations. Membership in ECFA is a powerful statement that a ministry acts responsibly and honors its commitment to accountability.

ECFA is not self-regulation. It is peer accountability, a biblical demonstration of the church caring for its own.

Peer accountability has proven effective in many professions, such as accounting, legal, medical, and higher education. Although ECFA membership spans a broad spectrum within the evangelical Christian community, common denominators link member organizations.

Spiritually, all proclaim, "Jesus is Lord!" as each unique organization creatively spreads the good news of the Gospel. Functionally, all must raise and spend funds to accomplish their mission goals. Despite many factors that segment ministries, ECFA membership utilizes these common denominators to unify the Christian community.

ECFA was formed in response to threatened legislation.

The fact that so many organizations have voluntarily submitted themselves to ECFA's independent standards of accountability has clearly forestalled this threat. As a viable accreditation agency, ECFA helps preserve freedom from governmental intrusion for all ministries – including those who are not members of ECFA.

Independent academic researchers have documented that ECFA membership is a factor in the favorable contribution decisions of a sizable percentage of the Christian donor public. Increasingly, donors are looking for the ECFA seal before they give.

ECFA Is Recognized by the Secular Nonprofit Community

ECFA's influence and reputation have grown tremendously among the various communities in which it operates. ECFA is an active, respected participant in the secular philanthropic community in the U.S.

ECFA has an ongoing reciprocal relationship with the office of the Attorney General in many states. It is a regular participant in NASCO (the National Association of State Charity Officials). It has provided comments on various issues to the Internal Revenue Service.

Although it is not a lobbying or trade organization, ECFA has been a significant resource to various members of Congress regarding legislation that might impact the "faith-based" community. ECFA has participated with others in signing various petitions or filing "friend of the court" briefs on several judicial cases.

ECFA conducts press interviews frequently.

These range from the best-known news agencies to many regional and specialized media outlets, including the Christian press. Whenever there is a scandal in the charity world—regardless of whether the organization in question is an ECFA member or not—these media outlets often consult ECFA.

The more ministries adhere to ECFA standards, the more trust the world will have in each individual ministry.

Our membership's growing awareness of ECFA's impact directly relates to the seal's value. This increased recognition by the membership is due to ECFA's firm stance in upholding its Standards. ECFA's best work is done in biblical confrontation behind closed doors.

Professionalism, fairness, objectivity, and consistency are cornerstones of the general operating practice of ECFA's Standards Advisory Committee (SAC) and Board.

ECFA's Board and Standards Advisory Committee members are among the finest experts in the country. This expertise is exhibited in ECFA's many published opinions and commentaries on technical issues.

Inspiring confidence in givers is a high priority in ECFA's mission of enhancing trust.

More than ever, donors are investing their money in causes they believe in and organizations that display integrity and transparency in their work. The new generation of givers no longer starts from a place of trust in ministries, giving organizations that display the ECFA seal a head start on building trust with donors.

ECFA is frequently promoted through Christian media outlets, public service announcements, and digital and print ads. ECFA's website reaches the masses and continues to expand. Ministry profiles are available online with a link to each member organization's website. In addition, the public utilizes ECFA's toll-free number daily to verify membership, obtain profiles, and obtain other information about charitable giving.

ECFA is the best defense for any ministry falsely accused of wrongdoing.

ECFA's independence is a key to its success in denying accreditation and vigorously defending its members in good standing when appropriate.