Top-Rated Charities

Groups included on the CharityWatch Top-Rated list generally spend 75% or more of their budgets on programs, spend $25 or less to raise $100 in public support, do not hold excessive assets in reserve, have met CharityWatch's governance benchmarks, and receive "open-book" status for disclosure of basic financial information and documents to CharityWatch. Please see the Our Process page of the website for more information on the rating criteria and methodology that CharityWatch adheres to.

Because many factors determine a worthy charity, we at CharityWatch suggest that you use the ratings on this page not as the sole determining factor in your decision, but rather as an aid.

This list is subject to change depending on the information CharityWatch receives concerning charitable organizations.

All Top Charities Addiction & Recovery Animals Asian American Black American Blind & Low Vision Cancer Child Protection & Sponsorship Civil Rights & Social Justice Consumer Protection & Legal Aid Environment & Climate Change Gun Control / Gun Rights Health - General Hispanic & Latin American Housing & Housing Equity Human Rights Human Services & Domestic Aid Hunger & Food Policy International Relief & Development Jewish & Israel LGBTQ+ Literacy & Education Mental Health Native American Older Adults Peace & International Relations Police & Firefighters Public Policy Reproductive Health Terminally or Chronically Ill Veterans & Military Women’s Issues & Advocacy Youth

Addiction & Recovery Charities

Charity	Rating
Drug Policy Alliance	A-

Animals Charities

Charity	Rating
American Humane Society	B+
Best Friends Animal Society	B+
Born Free USA united with Animal Protection Institute	A-
Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International	A-
Friends of Animals	A+
Marine Mammal Center	A-
National Disaster Search Dog Foundation	A-
PetSmart Charities	A+
RedRover	A-
Save the Chimps	A-
The Wild Animal Sanctuary	A
Wildlife Conservation Society	A

Asian American Charities

Charity	Rating
Asia Foundation	A
Asia Society	B+

Black American Charities

Charity	Rating
National Urban League (National Office)	A-

Blind & Low Vision Charities

Charity	Rating
Helen Keller International	A
Learning Ally	A-
National Federation of the Blind	A
Perkins School For The Blind	B+
Prevent Blindness	A-
Seva Foundation	A-

Cancer Charities

Charity	Rating
Breast Cancer Prevention Partners	B+
Breast Cancer Research Foundation	A
Cancer Research Institute	A
CancerCare	A+
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute	A
Entertainment Industry Foundation / Stand Up To Cancer	A-
Lustgarten Foundation	B+
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	A-
Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation	B+
National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund	A
National Breast Cancer Foundation	B+
Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance	A
Prostate Cancer Foundation	A

Child Protection & Sponsorship Charities

Charity	Rating
ChildFund International	B+
Children Incorporated	A
Children International	A-
Children's Health Fund	A-
Compassion International	A
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption	A
Marine Toys for Tots Foundation	A-
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children	A-
Pearl S. Buck International	A
Ronald McDonald House Charities (National Office)	A
Save the Children	A-
Unbound	A+
World Vision	A-

Civil Rights & Social Justice Charities

Charity	Rating
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)	A
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Foundation	A
Center for Constitutional Rights	B+
Electronic Frontier Foundation	B+
Fortune Society	A-
Institute for Justice	A

Consumer Protection & Legal Aid Charities

Charity	Rating
Food and Water Watch	B+
Media Research Center	B+
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine	B+
Project on Government Oversight (POGO)	A
Public Citizen Foundation	A

Environment & Climate Change Charities

Charity	Rating
350.org	A
African Wildlife Foundation	B+
Alaska Conservation Foundation	A-
Amazon Conservation Team	A
American Bird Conservancy	A-
American Forests	A
Appalachian Mountain Club	A-
Center for Biological Diversity	A
Chesapeake Bay Foundation	B+
Conservation Fund	A+
Conservation International Foundation	A
Defenders of Wildlife	B+
Ducks Unlimited	B+
Earth Island Institute	A
Earthjustice	A
Earthworks	A
Environmental Defense Action Fund	A
Environmental Working Group	A
Green America	A-
Izaak Walton League of America (National Office)	A
National Audubon Society	B+
National Forest Foundation	A-
National Park Trust	A-
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)	A-
NRDC Action Fund	A
Oceana	B+
Rainforest Action Network	A
Rainforest Alliance	A-
Save the Redwoods League	A-
Sierra Club Foundation	A-
Solar Cookers International (SCI)	A-
The Nature Conservancy	B+
Trout Unlimited (National Office)	A-
Trust for Public Land	A
Union of Concerned Scientists	A
Water.org	B+
Waterkeeper Alliance	A-
World Resources Institute	A+

Gun Control / Gun Rights Charities

Charity	Rating
Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence	B+
Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund	A

Health - General Charities

Charity	Rating
American Brain Tumor Association	A-
American Diabetes Association	A-
American Kidney Fund	A+
American Lung Association	B+
Breakthrough T1D	A-
Can Do Multiple Sclerosis	B+
CDC Foundation	A+
Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation	A-
City of Hope & Affiliates	A-
Crohn's & Colitis Foundation	A-
Diabetes Action Research and Education Foundation	A
Hearing Health Foundation	A
Huntington's Disease Society of America	A-
Lupus Foundation of America (National Office)	B+
Lupus Research Alliance	A
Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research	A
MiracleFeet	A
National Bleeding Disorders Foundation	A-
National Jewish Health	A-
National Kidney Foundation	A-
National Psoriasis Foundation	B+
Parkinson's Foundation	A-
Remote Area Medical	A
Salk Institute for Biological Studies	A

Hispanic & Latin American Charities

Charity	Rating
Hispanic Federation	A
Hispanic Scholarship Fund	A+

Housing & Housing Equity Charities

Charity	Rating
Bowery Residents' Committee (BRC)	B+
Coalition for the Homeless	A

Human Rights Charities

Charity	Rating
Center for Victims of Torture	B+
Committee to Protect Journalists	B+
Human Rights First	A
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)	A-

Human Services & Domestic Aid Charities

Charity	Rating
American Red Cross	A-
Farm Aid	A
The Y (National Office)	A

Hunger & Food Policy Charities

Charity	Rating
Action Against Hunger-USA	A
City Harvest	B+
Feed My Starving Children	A
Feeding America	A-
Food Bank For New York City	A-
The Hunger Project	B+

International Relief & Development Charities

Charity	Rating
Accion International	A-
Alight	A
All Hands and Hearts	A+
American Friends Service Committee	A-
American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA)	A-
Brother's Brother Foundation	B+
CARE	A
Catholic Relief Services	A+
Central Asia Institute	A-
charity: water	A
Church World Service (CWS)	A-
Comic Relief	A-
Direct Relief & Direct Relief Foundation	A+
Doctors Without Borders USA	A
Engineers Without Borders - USA	A
Episcopal Relief & Development	A
FINCA International	A-
Fistula Foundation	A
GiveDirectly	A
Grameen Foundation USA	A-
HIAS	A
International Medical Corps	A
International Rescue Committee	A
Lutheran World Relief & IMA World Health	A-
Mercy Corps	A
Muslim Aid USA	A
One Acre Fund	A
Operation USA	A-
Opportunity International	A-
Partners In Health	A+
Project HOPE	A-
Refugees International	A
Rotary Foundation of Rotary International	A
Samaritan's Purse	A-
Team Rubicon	A
TechnoServe	A
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)	A+
United States Fund for UNICEF	A-
World Central Kitchen	A+
World Neighbors	A
Zakat Foundation of America	A

Jewish & Israel Charities

Charity	Rating
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee	A+
American Jewish World Service	A-
Anti-Defamation League & Foundation	B+
B'nai B'rith International	B+
Bend the Arc - A Jewish Partnership for Justice	A-
Hadassah	A+
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger	A
New Israel Fund	A

LGBTQ+ Charities

Charity	Rating
Trevor Project	A-

Literacy & Education Charities

Charity	Rating
ProLiteracy Worldwide	A-

Mental Health Charities

Charity	Rating
Alzheimer's Association	B+
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention	A
Brain & Behavior Research Foundation	A
Mental Health America (MHA)	A
NAMI	A
The Arc of the United States (National Office) & Foundation	A

Native American Charities

Charity	Rating
American Indian College Fund	B+

Older Adults Charities

Charity	Rating
National Council on Aging (NCOA)	B+

Peace & International Relations Charities

Charity	Rating
AFS-USA	A-
Clinton Foundation	A-
International Peace Institute	A
United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee	B+

Police & Firefighters Charities

Charity	Rating
Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS)	A+
Tunnel to Towers Foundation	A+

Public Policy Charities

Charity	Rating
American Battlefield Trust	A
Corporate Accountability	A
League of Women Voters Education Fund	A-

Reproductive Health Charities

Charity	Rating
Center for Reproductive Rights	B+
EngenderHealth	A-
Fos Feminista	A-
Guttmacher Institute	A-
PAI	A-
Pathfinder International	A
Population Connection	A-
Population Council	A

Terminally or Chronically Ill Charities

Charity	Rating
Compassion & Choices	A
Compassion & Choices Action Network	A+
Death with Dignity National Center	A-
Sunshine Foundation (National Office)	A

Veterans & Military Charities

Charity	Rating
Bob Woodruff Foundation	A-
Fisher House Foundation	A+
Gary Sinise Foundation	A
Homes For Our Troops	A
Hope For The Warriors	A
Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund	A+
National Military Family Association	A-
Semper Fi & America's Fund	A+
Student Veterans of America	A-
The Mission Continues	B+
Veterans Community Project	A
Wounded Warriors Family Support	A

Women’s Issues & Advocacy Charities

Charity	Rating
Global Fund for Women	A
Legal Momentum	B+
MADRE	A
Ms. Foundation for Women	B+
National Women's Law Center	A-

Youth Charities

Charity	Rating
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (National Office)	A
Camp Fire National Headquarters	B+
CEDARS (Rating Discontinued)	A
Covenant House & Affiliates	A-
Girl Scouts of the USA (National Office)	A-
Girls Incorporated (National Office)	A
Junior Achievement USA (National Office)	A
National 4-H Council	B+
Scholarship America	A+