Adverse Media Reports help clients maintain the integrity of their programs by providing early visibility into potential risks associated with nonprofits. This paid feature offers weekly reports of organizations with adverse media, powered by Benevity’s in-house validation services, helping program administrators make informed decisions aligned with their organization’s objectives and risk tolerance.
Each week, Benevity’s in-house vetting experts monitor newly identified adverse media from a leading global risk-intelligence database and summarize it in a Benevity-branded report. Coverage spans many countries and languages and includes a wide range of risk categories, including but not limited to:
- Fraud and financial crimes
- Human trafficking, abuse, and violence
- Regulatory and registration actions
- Environmental violations
- Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) and state-controlled organizations
- Organizational controversy and reputational concerns
Each event is coded by Event Category and Stage so you can see what was reported and how far the matter has progressed. This provides clients with insight into issues that may impact their giving and volunteering programs.
Receiving subscribed reports
Clients who subscribe to Adverse Media Reports receive a report every week via email from adversemedia@benevity.com.
The initial report contains a cumulative list of all nonprofits identified to date, along with PDF summaries that provide additional context, such as the event description, publication date, coding, and source. Each subsequent weekly report includes newly reported organizations that have registered a profile with Benevity, or that have received donations or volunteer engagement through Benevity, in the past nine months.
Clients can then decide whether to exclude any given nonprofit in their eligibility rules.
Glossary of Adverse Media Report codes
Every event in an Adverse Media Report has two codes separated by a colon: an Event Category followed by a Stage. For example, MLA:1, where:
- Event Category = MLA (Money Laundering)
- Stage = 1 (Alleged / Under Review: a claim, accusation, or investigation has surfaced, with no formal action yet)
There are four stages: 1 Alleged / Under Review, 2 Formal Action Initiated, 3 Active Status or Proceeding, and 4 Resolved. For all codes and definitions, refer to the Adverse Media Report glossary. If you used Moody’s three-letter codes in reports through September 28, 2026, see the Code Mapping Guide.
Updating the eligibility of nonprofits
Benevity does not automatically deactivate nonprofits identified in Adverse Media Reports. In certain cases—such as serious regulatory violations—Benevity may deactivate a nonprofit in the Causes Portal based on the facts. However, because media reports can be subjective and clients have varying risk tolerances, decisions beyond Benevity-initiated deactivations are left to each client’s discretion.
To update a nonprofit’s eligibility status:
- Review the Adverse Media Report.
- Identify any nonprofits you wish to be made ineligible for your program.
- Contact support to update nonprofit eligibility.
Adverse Media Reports provide visibility, but action is largely client-driven. Regular reviews are essential to maintain alignment with your program’s standards.