how to choose an organization to donate to

1. Decide What You’re Passionate About. When it comes to giving, the adage to “follow your heart” is quite appropriate. ...
2. Find a Charity That Matches Your Passion. There are several ways to find a nonprofit organization that you want to support. ...
3. Research the Organization Before You Give. To make sure your dollars will be spent well, it’s wise to learn as much as you can about the organization before you ...
4. Avoid Red Flags. If you can’t find those items on a charity’s website, it may have some transparency issues. Make sure you have the organization’s name correct.

Full Answer

How to choose the best charities for your donations?

Dec 08, 2016 · Choosing the Best Charities. Here are four things to consider when choosing which charities to donate to… 1. Affinity. Give to charities that you’re personally connected to or affiliated with somehow. Like your church or denomination, your alma mater, an organization you volunteer with, a listener-supported radio station you listen to, etc. The closer you are to the …

Should you donate your donations to a local charity?

How to Decide Where to Donate Choose a cause you care about.. There are far more non-profits out there, working on a wider variety of issues than most... Make sure the organization you give to is legitimate.. When it comes to donating to charity, the most important thing to... Watch out for ...

What do I need to know about making a donation?

Is it bad to donate to a charity by name?

How do you know if an organization is a good donation?

The FTC strongly recommends checking with organizations such as the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, CharityWatch, or GuideStar which will help you get a better picture of how much of the charity's donations go towards expenses and overhead.Apr 28, 2021

What is the most important charity to donate to?

10 Most Followed CharitiesRankCharityDonors Tracking This Charity1Doctors Without Borders, USA34,1182American Red Cross19,9073The Nature Conservancy15,6544Natural Resources Defense Council15,6296 more rows

What charities should you not donate to?

Here are some of the worst offenders:Kids Wish Network.Cancer Fund of America.Children's Wish Foundation International.American Breast Cancer Foundation.Firefighters Charitable Foundation.Breast Cancer Relief Foundation.International Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIO.National Veterans Service Fund.More items...•Feb 28, 2022

What is the best charity in the world?

YMCA of the USA. Youth. ... Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Youth. ... Compassion International. International Needs. ... Catholic Charities USA. Domestic Needs. ... Task Force for Global Health. International Needs. $995 M. ... Step Up for Students. Education. $976 M. ... Good 360. International Needs. $870 M. ... Nature Conservancy. Environment/Animal. $868 M.More items...•Dec 16, 2021

How To Choose the Best Charities for Your Money

Unfortunately, there are many charities that make it difficult to see how much of your donation is going to the actual cause and what’s allocated to things like operating expenses or fundraising.

2. Find a Charity That Matches Your Passion

There are several ways to find a nonprofit organization that you want to support.

3. Research the Organization Before You Give

To make sure your dollars will be spent well, it’s wise to learn as much as you can about the organization before you start writing checks. The following charity watchdogs make it easy to research organizations online:

4. Avoid Red Flags

Consumer Reports says that when doing your research, you should be able to see at least three things on a nonprofit organization’s website:

Final Thoughts

It’s easier now than ever to investigate an organization to see if it’s as effective and honest as it may seem. As a recap, here are the four steps to take to choose the charities that deserve your money:

Choose a cause you care about

There are far more non-profits out there, working on a wider variety of issues than most people realize. Before you donate, take some time to think about the causes you’re most passionate about, whether they’re at home or abroad.

Make sure the organization you give to is legitimate

When it comes to donating to charity, the most important thing to avoid is supporting an organization that’s not legitimate. Start by verifying that the organization you’re thinking of giving to is a registered non-profit; in the U.S., that means they need to have 501 (c) (3) status.

Choose a cause you care about

There are far more non-profits out there, working on a wider variety of issues than most people realize. Before you donate, take some time to think about the causes you’re most passionate about, whether they’re at home or abroad.

Make sure the organization you give to is legitimate

When it comes to donating to charity, the most important thing to avoid is supporting an organization that’s not legitimate. Start by verifying that the organization you’re thinking of giving to is a registered non-profit; in the U.S., that means they need to have 501 (c) (3) status.

Look for transparency

From their own websites to various social media platforms, non-profits have so many ways to easily communicate with the public. So if you’re having a hard time finding much detail about an organization, you should be suspicious.

See if their programs are have been evaluated

Conducting evaluations and creating evidence-based programs is more common in some sectors of the non-profit field than others, and at larger organizations than smaller ones. But commissioning evaluations and using research to back up decisions shows a commitment to learning, improving, and making a the biggest impact possible.