Charities and Donations

Charity Navigator org - Charity Evaluator

Find a charity or charitable organization you can trust.

Charity Navigator is a leading independent charity evaluator. They work to advance a more efficient philanthropic market place by evaluating the financial health of more than5,400 of America's largest charities.

The Charity Navigator's rating system examines two key areas of a charity's financial health. It takes a look at how responsibly the organization functions on a day to day basis, and how well it may sustain its programs over time. Each charity organization is then given an overall rating, that ranges from zero to a maximum of four stars. Each charity's commitment to keeping donors' personal information confidential is also looked at to ensure privacy. You can search their website by charity name, its location or type of charitable activity and also features opinions given by experts, donation tips, and top-10 and bottom-10 lists which rank efficient and inefficient organizations in a number of categories.

They do not accept funding from the charities that they evaluate. Their commitment to help America's philanthropists of all levels make informed giving decisions, includes refusing to charge users for their trusted data. Charity Navigator, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization itself, depends on support from individuals, corporations and foundations so they can provide a needed service to America's charitable givers.

Data shows that 7 out of 10 charities evaluated spend at least 75% of their budget on programs and services they exist to provide. And 9 out of 10 spend at least 65% on theses programs. We believe that those spending less than a third of their budget on program expenses are simply not living up to their missions. Charities demonstrating such gross inefficiency receive zero points for their overall organizational efficiency score.

• Charity Navigator
1200 MacArthur Boulevard
Second Floor
Mahwah, New Jersey 07430
201.818.1288
website: www.charitynavigator.org

Also see:
• how to start a charity
• NFL charities
• Charity Navigator org
• NBCC - National Breast Cancer Coalition
• Hospice America Foundation
• Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation
• Make-A-Wish Foundation
• Catholic Charities