Support Charities
How to Find a Check 6 Charity
Check 6 is an organization that gives local children who are dealing with serious health conditions the chance to be a pilot for a day. They work with Joint Base Andrews to make this happen.
3.18.6 If a charity or CASC is aware that the benefit it’s providing to a donor or connected person isn’t associated with their donation it will be acceptable.
How to Check a Charity
Whether you write a check or use your credit card, it’s important to make sure that your donation actually gets to the charity you want it to go to. You can start by searching for the charity’s name and website online. Look for detailed information about programs and how your donation will be used. Also see if the charity is registered with your state’s regulator. And do both the fundraiser and charity have a registered tax-exempt status?
You can also find out if any complaints have been filed against the charity or its fundraisers. One of the best free resources for this is GuideStar, which provides access to 1.8 million nonprofits’ basic I.R.S. filing documents. It also offers paid services that can provide deeper analysis, such as financial ratios and executive compensation. Another good resource is CharityWatch, formerly the American Institute of Philanthropy. This nonprofit watchdog group rates charities with a rating system of A to F and takes a more assertive approach to exposing abusive charity practices.
GuideStar
If you are a nonprofit charity, the best way to promote your work and make it easily discoverable by donors and foundations is through a GuideStar profile. This website allows nonprofits to upload information about their programs, achievements, and impact in the community. You can also post a brief bio for your board members and key staff, which makes it easier for donors to learn about the people running your organization.
Foundations look at GuideStar profiles when deciding which organizations to support. They also use them to verify their philanthropic investments. In fact, many foundations only fund organizations that are GuideStar Seal holders.
Updating your GuideStar profile is easy, and it can help you stand out to donors and foundations. You can add your Form 990 and IRS letter of determination, as well as photos and videos. You can also link your GuideStar profile to your website and other social media platforms. The process of claiming your profile and updating it takes just eight steps.
Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator is the country’s largest and most-utilized nonprofit evaluator. It rates charities like critics rate movies and restaurants, giving them up to four stars. Its premise is that educated donors will give to the most effective groups, so more good will get done.
The group focuses on evaluating the efficiency and accountability of major US charitable organizations. It also provides information on more than 1.4 million active nonprofits in the United States.
Its current CEO, Michael Thatcher, is a former Microsoft executive who brings technology expertise to the organization (Charity Navigator). He has publicly disavowed the “overhead myth” that equates fundraising and administrative expenses with nonprofit effectiveness and has promised a new rating system that will incorporate results reporting.
In the meantime, donors should be wary of charities that cannot provide basic information or are reluctant to divulge compensation details to fundraisers. They should also make it a policy to ask anyone soliciting for donations for their charity request form, which will give them the opportunity to share basic information about their organization and its accomplishments with you.
BBB Wise Giving Alliance
During a crisis, people can be eager to donate, but it’s important for them to take the time to understand what they are getting for their money. Free online resources such as Charity Navigator, BBB Wise Giving Alliance and CharityWatch can provide information about where a donation will go.
Donors should also be on the lookout for soundalike charities, which use similar names to deceive donors. For example, the low-rated United Breast Cancer Foundation of Huntington, N.Y., has the same name as the high-rated Breast Cancer Research Foundation of New York City.
BBB evaluates national charities that solicit donations and accredits those that meet its 20 standards, Taylor says. Groups that don’t meet all of the standards can still participate in the program by paying a fee to display the BBB’s national charity seal on their websites and marketing materials. CharityWatch gives the Blinded Veterans Association an F, while BBB deems it a trustworthy charity.
