You have the Right to Information
Charity rating organizations seek to protect donors' right to information (including the right to be informed of the organization's mission and how the organization intends to use donated resources, and the right to know if the organization has the capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes).
You also have the right to be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization's governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities. You should:
? Be able to access to the organization's most recent financial statements.
? Be assured that the gifts you give will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
? Receive appropriate acknowledgment and recognition for gifts your give.
As a donor, you should be assured that information about your donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law, and you should expect that all your giving relationships will be professional. You also have the right to know whether those soliciting your donation are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors, and you have the right to ask for your name to be removed from mailing lists that will be shared.
*Most importantly and most generally, you, as a donor, should feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.
Consult Charity Ratings to Judge and Compare Charities
There has been an increasing demand among nonprofit organizations themselves, donors to nonprofit organizations, and the government for increased reporting and accountability for philanthropic and other nonprofit organizations.
Several third-party institutions have emerged to collect and disseminate information on such charities, and to provide charity ratings designed to help you judge and compare charities based on operating metrics.
Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator is a premier, independent charity evaluator. Charity Navigator works to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the financial health of America's largest charities.
GuideStar
Philanthropic Research, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 1994. PRI's mission is to revolutionize philanthropy and nonprofit practice with information. PRI does business under the name "GuideStar" and operates the GuideStar Web site to deliver nonprofit information.
GuideStar Reports are Web pages displaying information on single nonprofit organizations. The amount of information available on these mini-Web sites depends on each organization's participation level. The most active nonprofits provide information for their GuideStar Reports, upload documents, and post classified ads and new releases.
*GuideStar Reports can be found by searching the database and selecting one of the organizations on the search results page.