Charity Ratings | Donating Tips | Best Charities

Taxpayer Subsidized PPP Funds Went to Charities With High As...

May 25, 2022

CharityWatch questions if granting PPP funds to charities that could have relied on their own reserves to weather the economic fallout resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic was the best use of these resources. PPP funding was limit...

CharityWatch questions if granting PPP funds to charities that could have relied on their own reserves to weather the economic fal...

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Taxpayer Subsidized PPP Funds Went to Charities With Failing...

May 25, 2022

Many highly inefficient charities with histories of very low program spending and "F" ratings from CharityWatch received taxpayer subsidized PPP funds that could have been better utilized by other, much more efficient nonprofits....

Many highly inefficient charities with histories of very low program spending and "F" ratings from CharityWatch received taxpayer ...

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30 More Years of Keeping Charities Honest

May 23, 2022

Happy Birthday CharityWatch! If you were fortunate enough to grow up with a strong sense of right and wrong, you likely become frustrated as I do by a world that too often seems to reward bad behavior. Scammers and unethical chari...

Happy Birthday CharityWatch! If you were fortunate enough to grow up with a strong sense of right and wrong, you likely become fru...

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St. Joseph's Indian School: 25 Years of No Accountability

May 20, 2022

A charity sending a donor its self-published “Financial Report” pamphlet in response to a request for its audit is like a student sending their professor the grade they assigned themselves for the semester in lieu of turning i...

A charity sending a donor its self-published “Financial Report” pamphlet in response to a request for its audit is like a stud...

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Taking From The Hungry To Feed The Starving: Crisis in Yemen

Mar 18, 2022

Don't get scammed! Donate to legitimate and efficient charities aiding those affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen. ...

Don't get scammed! Donate to legitimate and efficient charities aiding those affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Y...

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CharityWatch's Coverage of Humanitarian Efforts For Ukraine

Mar 11, 2022

CharityWatch is here to help you identify efficient charities to support that are providing humanitarian aid for Ukraine relief efforts. Read on to choose the best charity for you to donate to.

CharityWatch is here to help you identify efficient charities to support that are providing humanitarian aid for Ukraine relief ef...

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Top-Rated Charities Providing Aid In Afghanistan

Mar 07, 2022

Don't waste your charity donations on scams! Donate to these legitimate and efficient charities aiding those affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

Don't waste your charity donations on scams! Donate to these legitimate and efficient charities aiding those affected by the ongoi...

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Watch Here: Top-Rated Charities Providing Aid To Ukrainians

Mar 01, 2022

CharityWatch Executive Director, Laurie Styron, reads a list of Top-Rated charities aiding victims of violence in Ukraine, and provides other advice to help you avoid charity scams so you can direct your donations to legitimate an...

CharityWatch Executive Director, Laurie Styron, reads a list of Top-Rated charities aiding victims of violence in Ukraine, and pro...

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Top-Rated Charities Providing Aid In Ukraine

Feb 28, 2022

Don't get scammed! Donate to legitimate and efficient charities aiding victims fleeing violence in Ukraine.

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Charities Helping In The Ukraine Crisis

Feb 25, 2022

Don't waste your charity donations on scams! Donate to these legitimate and efficient charities aiding those affected by the violence in Ukraine.

Don't waste your charity donations on scams! Donate to these legitimate and efficient charities aiding those affected by the viole...

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Easy Prey Podcast: Advice for Donating to Charity on This Gi...

Nov 24, 2021

"It just becomes this cyclical cesspool of fundraising," says Laurie Styron in her interview with Chris Parker for The Easy Prey Podcast when discussing a common charity accounting trick known as joint costs. ...

"It just becomes this cyclical cesspool of fundraising," says Laurie Styron in her interview with Chris Parker for The Easy Prey P...

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"F" Rated Veterans Charities to Watch Out For This Veterans ...

Nov 11, 2021

These "F" Rated veterans charities spend as much as 96% on overhead!

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Veterans Charities That Won't Use Your Donations For Up to 1...

Nov 11, 2021

If you donate today, some veterans charities won't use your donation for 10 to 17 years or more!

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AARP's Perfect Scam Podcast: A Case Study With Laurie Styron

Oct 29, 2021

"Giving makes people feel good," says Kay Bransford, the daughter and caregiver of a generous donor who received "over 200 pieces of mail" from charities per month asking for donations.

"Giving makes people feel good," says Kay Bransford, the daughter and caregiver of a generous donor who received "over 200 pieces ...

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Your Guilt as a Catalyst for Giving

Oct 22, 2021

Scammers and unethical, high-pressure fundraisers use a lot of psychological tricks and emotional manipulation to corner you into making impulsive donating decisions.

Scammers and unethical, high-pressure fundraisers use a lot of psychological tricks and emotional manipulation to corner you into ...

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Say "No" to High Pressure Fundraising Tactics

Oct 21, 2021

When we firmly say “no” to charity scammers, we can say “yes” to efficient and effective charities. ...

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Busting the Myths of "The Overhead Myth"

Oct 21, 2021

Before donating to charity, many donors want to know what portion of their donation the nonprofit will spend on programs versus overhead. And this makes sense. Charities and nonprofit fundraisers often reference two industry-...

Before donating to charity, many donors want to know what portion of their donation the nonprofit will spend on programs versus ov...

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Faulty Generalizations Lead to Bad Donating Decisions

Oct 20, 2021

Don't be overly impressed by a few anecdotal examples of what a charity claims to have accomplished.

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CharityWatch.org Kicks Off Charity Fraud Awareness Week: Big...

Oct 18, 2021

The difference between a charity scam and a legitimate, but highly inefficient charity may only be 1%.

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Breast Cancer Cause-Related Marketing: Buyer Beware

Oct 18, 2021

Watch "Breast Cancer Products Bring In Big Money — But to Whom" for CharityWatch Executive Director, Laurie Styron's contribution to this topic.

Watch "Breast Cancer Products Bring In Big Money — But to Whom" for CharityWatch Executive Director, Laurie Styron's contributio...

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Invisible People

Aug 15, 2021

CharityWatch reached out to Invisible People via mail and email in July 2021 with several questions about its 2020 IRS Form 990 financial reporting. As of August 6, 2021, Invisible People has not responded to our request...

CharityWatch reached out to Invisible People via mail and email in July 2021 with several questions about its 2020 IRS Form 990 fi...

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Fundraisers for ‘F’ Rated Charities Hit with a Combined ...

May 19, 2021

In separate actions in January 2021 and September 2020, the FTC joined forces with state charity regulators across the country to crack down on the predatory fundraising practices of for-profit companies soliciting donations on be...

In separate actions in January 2021 and September 2020, the FTC joined forces with state charity regulators across the country to ...

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10 Tips For Giving in a Crisis

May 09, 2021

You will accomplish more with your donation by giving $100 to a legitimate and highly efficient charity than you will by giving $1,000 to a fraudulent or highly inefficient one. But you must educate yourself on how to do it. Use t...

You will accomplish more with your donation by giving $100 to a legitimate and highly efficient charity than you will by giving $1...

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5 Tips for Avoiding Charity Frauds & Scams

Apr 22, 2021

Your $10 donation to an efficient, effective, and legitimate charity will make a bigger impact in forwarding the cause you want to support than your $1,000 donation to a scammer or highly inefficient nonprofit...

Your $10 donation to an efficient, effective, and legitimate charity will make a bigger impact in forwarding the cause you want to...

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Why Philanthropy Doesn’t Compensate for Failing to Pay Tax...

Mar 26, 2021

“Last fall, Robert F. Smith, the billionaire founder of Vista Equity Partners, a private equity firm, paid $139 million to federal authorities to settle one of the biggest tax evasion cases in American history,” according to a...

“Last fall, Robert F. Smith, the billionaire founder of Vista Equity Partners, a private equity firm, paid $139 million to feder...

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The Moral Questions of Giving

Mar 24, 2021

A message from CharityWatch Executive Director, Laurie Styron: Many of us receive significantly more requests for charitable donations than we have the resources to fulfill. As we attempt to narrow down the list of organizati...

A message from CharityWatch Executive Director, Laurie Styron: Many of us receive significantly more requests for charitable ...

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You're on the Case! Help CharityWatch Investigate '?' Charit...

Dec 04, 2020

Wise donors like you turn to CharityWatch for ratings and quality reporting on wrongdoing in the nonprofit sector because you know we aren’t afraid to name names and hold charities accountable to their donors...

Wise donors like you turn to CharityWatch for ratings and quality reporting on wrongdoing in the nonprofit sec...

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Our Hope for a Better World is Reflected in Our Acts of Givi...

Nov 02, 2020

A message from CharityWatch Executive Director, Laurie Styron: If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that suffering exists on a spectrum. However each of us measures success and stability in our lives this year we have...

A message from CharityWatch Executive Director, Laurie Styron: If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that suffering ex...

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‘Scam PACs’ Are On the Rise: Don’t Confuse Them for Le...

Jun 17, 2020

Political action committees, also known as PACs, are not the same thing as public charities, but some questionable actors from the charity world may be confusing donors into thinking otherwise. These individuals appear to be opera...

Political action committees, also known as PACs, are not the same thing as public charities, but some questionable actors from the...

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COVID-19: The Struggle & the Aftermath

Apr 15, 2020

A Message from CharityWatch’s Executive Director, Laurie Styron: In times of tragedy we feel a deep need to make sense of an often chaotic world and to find order within it by acting upon it in some way. Donating to charit...

A Message from CharityWatch’s Executive Director, Laurie Styron: In times of tragedy we feel a deep need to make sense of ...

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Collapse of Third-Party Giving Platform Leaves Charities Unp...

Oct 16, 2019

“Leaving New York charitable donors uncertain if their donations will ever make it to their intended cause is unacceptable,” said New York’s Attorney General in an October 4, 2019 press release announcing a lawsuit filed aga...

“Leaving New York charitable donors uncertain if their donations will ever make it to their intended cause is unacceptable,” s...

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Move America Forward Held Back by Financial & Political Inte...

Sep 13, 2019

(Updated Nov 30, 2020) Officers and directors of the military charity, Move America Forward, have been accused of using charitable contributions to enrich themselves while misrepresenting to the public the percentage of donations ...

(Updated Nov 30, 2020) Officers and directors of the military charity, Move America Forward, have been accused of using charitable...

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CharityWatch Calls for Military Care Package Charity to 'Ado...

Jul 25, 2019

CharityWatch has identified a history of troubling financial reporting by AdoptaPlatoon Soldier Support Effort that earned it “?” ratings from CharityWatch since its 2012 fiscal year, and an "F" rating for 2017...

CharityWatch has identified a history of troubling financial reporting by AdoptaPlatoon Soldier Support Effort that earned it...

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Unboxing HeroBox

Jul 25, 2019

The mission of HeroBox is simple. Through its website at herobox.org, the charity matches deployed soldiers’ wish lists for comfort supplies with willing donors. Donors can choose to sponsor a soldier, referred to as a “h...

The mission of HeroBox is simple. Through its website at herobox.org, the charity matches deployed soldiers’ wish lists for comf...

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California AG Accuses Another Aid Charity of Misleading Dono...

Jun 24, 2019

The office of the California Attorney General (OAG) "is committed to protecting generous donors from the harm caused by misleading accounting gimmicks," states a May 30th, 2019 press release announcing the OAG's lawsuit......

The office of the California Attorney General (OAG) "is committed to protecting generous donors from the harm caused by misleading...

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Is the United Way Relevant in the Internet Age?

May 14, 2019

In the Internet age where giving directly to charity only requires a few clicks of a mouse or touches on a smartphone, is the United Way with its workplace giving campaigns even necessary? While the mechanics of directing money to...

In the Internet age where giving directly to charity only requires a few clicks of a mouse or touches on a smartphone, is the Unit...

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Veterans Charity Forgiven of $13.9 Million of Debt Is $6.9 M...

Mar 18, 2019

Only three years after Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) entered into a settlement agreement with the New York Office of the Attorney General and was forgiven of $13.9 million in fundraising debt, it reports being nearl...

Only three years after Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) entered into a settlement agreement with the New York Office o...

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Cat Charity Criticized for Straying from Good Governance Pra...

Dec 17, 2018

Alley Cat Allies, 'the global engine of change for cats' according to its website, has found itself the target of criticism in an article by Marc Gunther titled 'The Limits of Nonprofit Oversight.' The November 2018 article was pu...

Alley Cat Allies, 'the global engine of change for cats' according to its website, has found itself the target of criticism in an ...

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Charity Continues to Deceive Donors In the Name of Fallen Po...

Dec 05, 2018

"Police officers put their lives on the line every day for their communities. It is wrong for any organization to try to take advantage of public sympathy for the losses of the families of fallen heroes," said Minnesota's Attorney...

"Police officers put their lives on the line every day for their communities. It is wrong for any organization to try to take adva...

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How To Check If a Charity Respects Your Privacy

Oct 19, 2018

Before you make a charitable donation, do you consider how the charity might make use of your personal information? In other words, do you check for a donor privacy policy? Did you realize that some charities don't have a written ...

Before you make a charitable donation, do you consider how the charity might make use of your personal information? In other words...

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Don't Be Fooled By Name Rip-off Charity Scams

Jun 15, 2018

How much harm could there really be in confusing the names of two charities? Confusing a poorly-run charity for a well-run charity is one thing, but imagine how disheartening it would be if the entire amount of what you thought wa...

How much harm could there really be in confusing the names of two charities? Confusing a poorly-run charity for a well-run charity...

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WonderWork Co-Founder is No Mr. Wonderful

Mar 08, 2018

Brian Mullaney, the man who for charities like Smile Train and WonderWork, popularized the dubious fundraising advertising claim of "100% to Program," may face legal action and tax penalties, potentially for unjust enrichment...

Brian Mullaney, the man who for charities like Smile Train and WonderWork, popularized the dubious fundraising advertising claim o...

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Conflicts of Interest Are a Red Flag for Donors: Some Charit...

Feb 20, 2018

The recent media attention given to conflicts of interest may have a political lean, but managing conflicts of interest has always been a critical part of good governance for charities and other nonprofits. The existence of confli...

The recent media attention given to conflicts of interest may have a political lean, but managing conflicts of interest has always...

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The Senate Singles Out WWP For Bad Practices That Also Occur...

Aug 14, 2017

Multiple media outlets, including CBS News and The New York Times, accused WWP of wasting donations on "lavish" spending, such as pricey travel, food and drink, and conferences for WWP employees. The U.S. Senate Judiciary...

Multiple media outlets, including CBS News and The New York Times, accused WWP of wasting donations on "lavish" spending, such as ...

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Reported Charity Salaries May Not Tell the Full Story

Apr 04, 2017

Donors often seek out information on charity executive salaries when considering whether or not to donate to a particular nonprofit. Unfortunately, the presentation of such salary data often causes donors to incorrectly conflate l...

Donors often seek out information on charity executive salaries when considering whether or not to donate to a particular nonprofi...

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Costly and Continuous Kars4Kids Ads Disguise Charity's Real ...

Mar 10, 2017

Described by many as annoying and by SFGate.com as the subject of "widespread, ubiquitous hate," the catchy advertising jingle for the charity known as Kars4Kids can now be heard not only on radio stations nationwide...

Described by many as annoying and by SFGate.com as the subject of "widespread, ubiquitous hate," the catchy advertising jingle for...

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Crowdfunding Popularity Continues to Soar Despite Risks to D...

Jan 20, 2017

Several years ago most people probably had never heard the word "crowdfunding." Unfortunately, as the popularity of crowdfunding continues to soar, so does the potential for fraudulent or fake fundraising campaigns...

Several years ago most people probably had never heard the word "crowdfunding." Unfortunately, as the popularity of crowdfund...

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Celebrity Charity Finances Are Hidden Behind Closed Doors

Nov 01, 2016

In addition to giving back to the community or supporting a cause with a personal connection, there are a variety of reasons (public image and tax relief among them) why it is fairly common for celebrities and professional athlete...

In addition to giving back to the community or supporting a cause with a personal connection, there are a variety of reasons (publ...

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Follow the Money: Beware of Groups that Pass Your Donations...

Jun 03, 2016

Say that you hear on a news report that a veterans charity has a 96% program services ratio. You think, "Wow, I'm going to donate $50 because almost all of it will be used for the needs of veterans," and so without further thought...

Say that you hear on a news report that a veterans charity has a 96% program services ratio. You think, "Wow, I'm going to donate ...

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Update: The IRS Has Made It Too 'E-Z' to Start Charities

Mar 08, 2016

Less than a year ago CharityWatch warned donors to get ready for a stampede of solicitations thanks to the IRS's July 2014 introduction of a new "streamlined" application process for certain eligible organizations to apply for 501...

Less than a year ago CharityWatch warned donors to get ready for a stampede of solicitations thanks to the IRS's July 2014 introdu...

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Charity Finishes Last at Car Donation Charities: Micro-Mini ...

Dec 18, 2015

Its "Wheels for Wishes" ads that mention "Make-A-Wish" have attracted tens of thousands of car donations, but it appears that many more of these "wheels" are for profits than for charitable wishes...

Its "Wheels for Wishes" ads that mention "Make-A-Wish" have attracted tens of thousands of car donations, but it appears that many...

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Long Running Family Charity Scheme Exposed

Jul 27, 2015

Unfortunately for most of us, we have been touched personally by cancer in some way. That makes it all the more shameful when bad actors in the charity world mislead good-intentioned donors under the ruse of helping cancer patient...

Unfortunately for most of us, we have been touched personally by cancer in some way. That makes it all the more shameful when bad ...

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Help Hospitalized Veterans Is Banned from VA Hospitals

Jan 30, 2015

Another startling fact concerning the "F" rated Help Hospitalized Veterans (HHV) has come to the attention of CharityWatch...

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A Donor's Guide to Serving the Needs of Veterans and the Mil...

Jan 26, 2015

Over 3.8 million war veterans were receiving disability compensation from the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department as of March 2014, according to the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics . This is out of over 21.6 mill...

Over 3.8 million war veterans were receiving disability compensation from the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department as of March 2014, a...

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Donors' Intentions Violated at For-profit Thrift Stores

Jan 22, 2015

When you donate unwanted clothes or household goods to a charity for resale at thrift stores, just how much of the dollar value of those items actually goes to the charity you've intended to support? In some cases, the answer to t...

When you donate unwanted clothes or household goods to a charity for resale at thrift stores, just how much of the dollar value of...

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Huge Amounts of Donations Squandered by 'F' Rated Charity Be...

Sep 24, 2014

Believed to be the largest amount of financial relief ever obtained in the U.S. for deceptive charitable fundraising, a $24.6 million settlement will be paid by the for-profit direct mail vendors of what has become one of the larg...

Believed to be the largest amount of financial relief ever obtained in the U.S. for deceptive charitable fundraising, a $24.6 mill...

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Donate With Confidence

Get detailed information about your favorite charities:

Top-Rated Charities Providing Aid In Afg...

Top-Rated Charities Providing Aid In Afghanistan

Taking From The Hungry To Feed The Starv...

Taking From The Hungry To Feed The Starving: Crisis in Yemen

Donations Needed For Yemen & Afghanistan

Donations Needed For Yemen & Afghanistan

St. Joseph's Indian School: 25 Years of ...

St. Joseph's Indian School: 25 Years of No Accountability

30 More Years of Keeping Charities Hones...

30 More Years of Keeping Charities Honest

Taxpayer Subsidized PPP Funds Went to Ch...

Taxpayer Subsidized PPP Funds Went to Charities With Failing Grades

Taxpayer Subsidized PPP Funds Went to Ch...

Taxpayer Subsidized PPP Funds Went to Charities With High Assets

Top-Rated Charities Providing Aid In Ukr...

Top-Rated Charities Providing Aid In Ukraine

Welcome to CharityWatch

Welcome to CharityWatch

10 Tips For Giving in a Crisis

10 Tips For Giving in a Crisis

Top Charities

Top Compensation

Donating Tips

Detailed Ratings & Analytics for Over 600 Charities

Give Thoughtfully

Featured News

Taxpayer Subsidized PPP Funds Went to Charities With High As...

Taxpayer Subsidized PPP Funds Went to Charities With High As...

May 25, 2022

Taxpayer Subsidized PPP Funds Went to Charities With Failing...

Taxpayer Subsidized PPP Funds Went to Charities With Failing...

May 25, 2022

30 More Years of Keeping Charities Honest

30 More Years of Keeping Charities Honest

May 23, 2022

St. Joseph's Indian School: 25 Years of No Accountability

St. Joseph's Indian School: 25 Years of No Accountability

May 20, 2022

Taking From The Hungry To Feed The Starving: Crisis in Yemen

Taking From The Hungry To Feed The Starving: Crisis in Yemen

Mar 18, 2022

CharityWatch's Coverage of Humanitarian Efforts For Ukraine

CharityWatch's Coverage of Humanitarian Efforts For Ukraine

Mar 11, 2022

Top-Rated Charities Providing Aid In Afghanistan

Top-Rated Charities Providing Aid In Afghanistan

Mar 07, 2022

Watch Here: Top-Rated Charities Providing Aid To Ukrainians

Watch Here: Top-Rated Charities Providing Aid To Ukrainians

Mar 01, 2022

Top-Rated Charities Providing Aid In Ukraine

Top-Rated Charities Providing Aid In Ukraine

Feb 28, 2022

Charities Helping In The Ukraine Crisis

Charities Helping In The Ukraine Crisis

Feb 25, 2022

Easy Prey Podcast: Advice for Donating to Charity on This Gi...

Easy Prey Podcast: Advice for Donating to Charity on This Gi...

Nov 24, 2021

"F" Rated Veterans Charities to Watch Out For This Veterans ...

"F" Rated Veterans Charities to Watch Out For This Veterans ...

Nov 11, 2021

Veterans Charities That Won't Use Your Donations For Up to 1...

Veterans Charities That Won't Use Your Donations For Up to 1...

Nov 11, 2021

AARP's Perfect Scam Podcast: A Case Study With Laurie Styron

AARP's Perfect Scam Podcast: A Case Study With Laurie Styron

Oct 29, 2021

Your Guilt as a Catalyst for Giving

Your Guilt as a Catalyst for Giving

Oct 22, 2021

Say "No" to High Pressure Fundraising Tactics

Say "No" to High Pressure Fundraising Tactics

Oct 21, 2021

Busting the Myths of "The Overhead Myth"

Busting the Myths of "The Overhead Myth"

Oct 21, 2021

Faulty Generalizations Lead to Bad Donating Decisions