Research Charities Before Donating This Holiday Season

It’s that time of year when people are not only shopping for holiday gifts, they’re also shopping for charities to send donations.

One non-profit group, Business.org, is trying to make it easier for you to choose the best charities to send your money.

Using data collected by Charity Navigator.org on organizations in every state, they compared financial information, transparency policies, and public reviews.

They also looked at financial, accountability, and transparency scores and administrative-to-program cost ratios.

They said the best organizations to give your money to averaged a rate of 94.9% for contributions that go directly back into the programs.

Their research also found that the types of causes championed by the most effective charities vary widely, from animal rights, to food distribution, social service, and environmental protection organizations.

You can go online to Charity Navigator.org to research reputable charities and also find out which ones are not, to make sure the charity you’re donating to is the right one for you.