Veteran Business Project Earns Charity Navigator’s Four-Star Rating

CityGate Centre-based Nonprofit Achieves Highest Designation for Financial Health, Accountability and Transparency

Veteran Business Project (VBP), the Naperville-based national nonprofit that supports small business opportunities for military members, veterans and military spouses by providing education and resources, has achieved Charity Navigator's Four-Star rating.

The Four-Star designation is the highest distinction awarded by Charity Navigator, the nation's largest charity evaluator and a trusted resource for donors nationwide, providing thorough and credible ratings of more than 225,000 organizations. Awarded to organizations that score 90 or above on Charity Navigator's 100-point scale and are considered "exceptional"—exceeding industry standards and outperforming most charities in their area of work—the Four-Star rating designates VBP as an official "Give with Confidence" charity.

Charity Navigator's Encompass Rating System evaluates nonprofits across four beacons—Accountability & Finance, Impact & Measurement, Leadership & Planning and Culture & Compensation—drawing on approximately 45–50 metrics to produce an overall score of zero to four stars. To achieve the top rating, organizations must demonstrate strong performance in areas including program expenses, fundraising efficiency, governance and transparency, with at least 75% of expenditures directed to programs and services. Evaluations are based on self-reported data and publicly available IRS Form 990s, tax forms prepared from professionally audited financial statements and signed under oath by an executive affirming their accuracy.

VBP CEO Lynn Lowder (left) celebrates the Four Star rating with CLO Tracy Grant and staff members Stephanie Cartwright and Jacob Sopoci

Founded to address the dramatic decline in veteran entrepreneurship since World War II — when nearly half of veterans

became business owners, compared to fewer than 5 percent of post-9/11 veterans today—VBP guides active-duty military, veterans and military spouses through every stage of business ownership, all at no charge to those it serves.

"When veterans leave the military, they lose more than a paycheck; they lose purpose, identity and belonging," said Lynn Lowder, co-founder and CEO of VBP. "Entrepreneurship gives that back.

"Getting a veteran into business is one of the most direct things we can do to fight the veteran suicide crisis, and this rating tells donors that the resources they entrust to us are being put to work with exactly that mission in mind," he added.

Because VBP provides its services at no charge to veterans and military spouses, the organization depends on donor support, grants and innovative funding models to sustain its mission. One such model is Rosie's Home Cookin', the Naperville breakfast and lunch destination co-founded by Lowder and Dale Eisenberg, co-founder and president of VBP, in 2022 and now located at CityGate Centre. Named in tribute to the iconic "Rosie the Riveter" and structured as a Low-Profit Limited Liability Company wholly owned by VBP, Rosie's directs 100% of its profits back to fund the organization's programs. The diner also serves as a Living Business School, providing hands-on entrepreneurial training for veterans alongside its daily operations.

VBP co-founders, CEO Lynn Lowder (standing) and President Dale Eisenberg at Rosie's Home Cookin'. Proceeds from the VBP-owned diner at CityGate Centre fund the nonprofit mission.

"As a career restaurateur, I know firsthand that a well-run restaurant can be more than a business: It can be a community institution and a teaching tool," said Eisenberg. "Rosie's was built to be both: Every meal served helps fund the mentoring, matchmaking and resources we provide to veterans at no cost, and the kitchen and front-of-house are classrooms for veterans learning the business from the inside out."

The Charity Navigator Four-Star rating signals to donors, grant makers and the public that VBP meets the highest standards of fiscal responsibility, accountability and transparency in carrying out its mission. Since 2001, Charity Navigator has been an unbiased and trusted source of information for more than 8 million donors annually. Veteran Business Project's rating and other information about charitable giving are available free of charge on charitynavigator.org.

Visit VeteranBusinessProject.org for more information about its services or RosiesHomeCookin.com for menus or to schedule a meeting or private event.