Happy Hanukkah to our Jewish friends and donors! We hope you find the following information useful as you consider where to direct your donations this holiday season.
Just as lobbyists are not investigative journalists, charity trade associations that allow charities to essentially rate themselves by crowdsourcing or repackaging their self-reported data are not independent charity watchdogs or consumer protection organizations. In other words, not all charity ratings are the same.
Charities included on CharityWatch's Top-Rated list generally spend 75% or more of their cash budgets on programs; spend no more than $25 to raise each $100 of cash public support from non-governmental sources; do not hold excessive assets in reserve; and have met CharityWatch's benchmarks for governance and transparency.
CharityWatch does not take the inconsistent and incomparable financial reporting of nonprofits at face value when computing a charity's program percentage or fundraising efficiency ratios. Rather, our analysts perform an in-depth analysis of charity consolidated audited financial statements or single entity audited financial statements (as applicable); the IRS tax Forms 990 included in a charity's audit; and fundraising contracts, state filings, legal filings, and other data as necessary to conduct a meaningful assessment of how efficiently a charity is operating.
The following charities receive Top-Rated status from CharityWatch as of 11/29/2021. For the most up-to-date ratings of charities in this category, please visit CharityWatch's Top-Rated Charities page or our complete list of Jewish & Israel charities.
American Jewish Committee - Its mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel, and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world.
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee - Its mission is to serve the needs of Jews throughout the world, particularly where their lives as Jews are threatened or made more difficult.
American Jewish World Service - Its mission is to work to realize human rights and to end poverty in the developing world, inspired by the Jewish commitment to justice.
Anti-Defamation League & Foundation - Its mission it to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all.
Bend the Arc - A Jewish Partnership for Justice - Its mission is to deeply engage Jews in sustained action that manifests a tradition of working to heal and repair the world, and to create a powerful and widely recognized Jewish voice championing equality and justice for disenfranchised residents of our nation.
Friends of the Israel Defense Forces - Its mission is to offer educational, cultural, recreational, social services, programs, and facilities that provide hope, purpose, and life-changing support for the soldiers that protect Israel and Jews worldwide.
Hadassah - Its mission is to enhance the health and lives of people in Israel, the U.S., and worldwide through education, advocacy, and youth development, and through its support of medical care and research at Hadassah Medical Organization.
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger - Its mission is to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel.
New Israel Fund - Its mission is to strengthen Israel's democracy and promote freedom, justice, and equality for all of Israel's citizens.
Simon Wiesenthal Center - Its mission is to confront anti-semitism and hate, promote human dignity, defend democracy and freedom, and teach the lessons of the Holocaust for future generations.