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5 ways to verify a charity before donating
Social media is full of posts featuring heart-wrenching images alongside urgent pleas to donate RIGHT NOW, and they're designed to activate our empathy so quickly that we're reaching for the donation link before we've had a chance to evaluate the organization behind the ask.
Fraudulent and misleading charitable organizations thrive in this environment because the format rewards exactly this kind of high-arousal emotional content. (This is separate from personal fundraising campaigns on platforms like GoFundMe, which connect us directly to individuals; the organizations using these tactics are structured charities (or claim to be) that solicit donations at scale.)
Confirm the organization is officially registered. Legitimate charities are required to register with a government regulatory body, and most countries maintain free, searchable databases of registered organizations (the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search in the U.S., the Charity Commission in the UK, the ACNC in Australia, and the CRA in Canada are a few examples). If an organization isn't listed in its country's registry, that's a significant red flag.
Check charity evaluation platforms. Independent organizations evaluate charities on financial transparency and how they allocate donations. Charity Navigator and GuideStar (now Candid) focus primarily on U.S.-based nonprofits, while GiveWell and Giving What We Can evaluate and maintain directories of vetted international organizations.
Look at the organization's financial disclosures. Registered charities are generally required to publish financial information, whether that's a Form 990 in the U.S. (searchable for free through ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer) or an annual report filed with a national regulator. These documents show how the organization earns and spends its money, including executive compensation, and they tell a much fuller story than the organization's marketing.
Search for independent reporting on the organization. A quick search of the charity's name alongside words like "fraud" or "complaint" can surface investigative reporting or regulatory actions that the organization's own materials won't mention. Local and national news outlets in the country where the charity operates are often the strongest sources for this kind of coverage.
Watch for red flags in how they ask for money. Pressure to donate immediately, requests for cash or wire transfers, vague language about how funds will be used, and refusal to provide documentation about programs or finances are tactics commonly associated with fraudulent operations. Legitimate charities provide clear information about their work and welcome questions about how donations are spent.
Every legitimate organization will hold up to this level of scrutiny without issue, and the verification process works the same way regardless of where we are or where the charity operates.
If an organization resists basic questions about its finances and how donations are used, that resistance is its own answer. The charities doing real work make this information easy to find.