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Charity Navigator

While reading the Post this morning I came across a short article about a great site called Charity Navigator. The organization’s mission is as follows:

Charity Navigator works to guide intelligent giving. We help charitable givers make intelligent giving decisions by providing information on over five thousand charities and by evaluating the financial health of each of these charities. We ensure our evaluations are widely used by making them easy to understand and available to the public free of charge. By guiding intelligent giving, we aim to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace, in which givers and the charities they support work in tandem to overcome our nation’s most persistent challenges.

Charity Navigator is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization under the Internal Revenue Code and does not accept any contributions from any charities we evaluate.

Why is this site useful? Because according to Charity Navigator’s director, Trent Stamp, “there are way too many charities in this country”. Sounds like a Republican, no? Stamp’s point is that most of the charities don’t do anything. The article states, “America is bloated with “literally thousands” of charities that do little, if any, public good and exist almost solely to provide jobs for their executives and professional fundraisers”. Yikes. Tell us how you really feel. Point being, give intelligently. Donating to a charity may make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside during the chilly holiday season but just moving money doesn’t mean any good is being done. The site actually has a Holiday Giving Guide up to help you make smart giving decisions during the next few months.

Eliminating waste in philanthropy will go a long way toward helping the less fortunate. Another great section of the site is the Highest and Lowest Rated Charities. If the public can see that more and more of its donations go toward actually helping the intended beneficiaries it will be more likely to give. Unfortunately the status quo shows us too many instances of executive directors using donations to buy their uncles Cadillacs, and this gives potential donors pause when contemplating giving. If Charity Navigator can help shed light on the charities that a self-serving it will help create a more sustainable philanthropic environment in the U.S.

Check out the ratings list, there are some surprises waiting for you.

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