Determining the Legitimacy of a Charity or Nonprofit

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Philanthropy and Nonprofits

We all like to do things that make us feel good about ourselves. And what better way to feel good about yourself than to help others? Whether you're looking for a new charity to give to or want to check the legitimacy of one to which you already give, the resources you need are online. You can find a place to volunteer at home or abroad, research and apply to education programs in philanthropy and nonprofit studies, read up on the latest in nonprofit news, or even find ways to better run or start your own nonprofit.

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Nonprofit Organizations

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Determining the Legitimacy of a Charity or Nonprofit

The sites featured in this section have stepped in to help you ensure that your charity and philanthropy are being properly used. If you want a list of respected foundations, want to confirm that a certain nonprofit is on the up-and-up, or want a closer look into the finances of your favorite charities, these online watchdogs will give you the goods.

Dulcinea's Insight

There are thousands of charities and these watchdog sites have limited resources. Just because an organization doesn't appear on their list doesn't necessarily mean it isn't trustworthy. Try searching for articles about your charity for alternative verification.

Some of these sites might have higher (or lower) standards than you think necessary for charitable organizations, so take a look at how a site evaluates charities before you trust its judgment on a particular one.

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For charity watchdogs ...

The BBB Wise Giving Alliance site is a reliable tool you can use to check up on your charities. The organization does not rate charities, but rather declares them as meeting its rather strict accounting and transparency guidelines, or explains where they're lacking. Its optional Charity Seal program gives organizations a quick way to show they've been favorably evaluated. Here you can also report on or inquire about a specific organization that's not on the list.

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CharityNavigator.org takes a different approach to its watchdog role by rating charities on a four-star scale according to their financial efficiency, i.e., how well your donations are being used. The extensive description of this process brings a high level of transparency to the site. In addition, the large sections of tips, studies, and articles, as well as the inclusion of more personalized and powerful tracking tools available to registered users, further expands the site's role to a personal charity manager.

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The American Institute of Philanthropy is known for its particular tenacity. On its site, charitywatch.org, you can read about how it rates organizations, browse articles on philanthropy, get tips on giving, and see its list of top-rated charities. If you want its full publication of ratings, however, you'll have to follow the site's instructions on where to send away for a sample copy, or how to become a member in order to regularly receive the tri-annual publication.

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The National Center for Charitable Statistics has an expansive databases that can be technical or hard to find, and the site is more focused toward those in the field. But if you have the time and need for some serious research, this is the place to find the nitty gritty.

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For other charity information services ...

Guidestar.org is not a watchdog group, but rather a souped-up charity directory. It can provide you with very basic legal information on individual nonprofit and charity organizations through a free search service, and detailed financial information through more extensive pay services built for those working with or in nonprofit agencies.

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