Giving to charity is a wonderful thing that people enjoy doing, but making sure that the money is going to go to good use, is another story. While donating to a cause that you care about is incredibly kind and generous, you always want to do some research on the charity you want to give to before sending the money, just to be safe. Because there are so many millions of charities set up these days, some of them might not actually be what they say they are.
These 4 tools will help you to confirm that the charity you wish to donate to is worthy of the cause.
Find top-rated charities in every field. Look for organizations that have received a four star rating for consecutive years. Charity Navigator works to guide intelligent giving. By guiding intelligent giving, it aims to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace, in which givers and the charities they support work in tandem to overcome our nation’s and the world’s most persistent challenges.
The official site of the American Philanthropic Institute allows anyone to search for information (good and bad) on hundreds of charities. CharityWatch does not merely repeat what a charity reports using simplistic or automated formulas. It dives deep to let you know how efficiently a charity will use your donation to fund the programs you want to support. CharityWatch also exposes nonprofit abuses and advocates for your interests as a donor.
The Better Business Bureau’s mission is to be the leader in advancing marketplace trust. Search the Better Business Bureau’s site to research international and domestic charities and learn which ones are accredited by the BBB.
Search online for news and reviews of a charity. Keep in mind that on the internet anyone can say anything for any reason. Always consider the source, taking no claim (positive or negative) seriously unless backed by factual evidence.