Check a charity before you give

Giving is generous. A few minutes of checking helps make sure your gift reaches the cause, and not a scammer.

Where does each dollar go?

Charities report their spending to the IRS in three main buckets. (On the IRS Form 990, this is Part IX, the "Statement of Functional Expenses.")

A made-up example, not a real charity.

• Programs: the actual work you want to support, like meals served, research, or disaster relief.
• Management and general: running the organization, like accounting, rent, and staff who don't run programs. People often call this "overhead."
• Fundraising: the cost of asking for money, like mailings, events, and paid callers.

What the charity watchdogs look for

These are the watchdogs' own standards, in their words made plain:

• BBB Wise Giving Alliance: a charity should spend at least 65% of its total expenses on programs, and no more than 35% of related donations on fundraising. That means no more than 35 cents to raise a dollar. (BBB Standards for Charity Accountability, Standards 8 and 9)
• CharityWatch: calls a charity highly efficient when it spends 75% or more on programs and spends $25 or less to raise $100. (CharityWatch criteria)

Numbers are only part of the picture. A new charity, or one responding to a disaster, may look different for a while. Also ask: what does this charity actually get done?

4 free places to check a charity

You can also check that a charity is registered in your state with your state charity regulator (from the National Association of State Charity Officials). Not every good charity is listed on every site, especially small local ones. If it's missing, ask the charity for its exact name and its Form 990.

Check it in 5 steps

1. Get the exact name. Write down the charity's exact name, website, and address. Many scams use names that sound like real charities.
2. Look it up on two of the free sites above.
3. Check the IRS list if you want a tax deduction. Gifts to political groups, like PACs, are not tax deductible.
4. Search the name with words like "complaint," "review," or "scam."
5. Give safely. Go to the charity's own website yourself, or mail a check. A credit card or check is safer than cash.

Red flags: stop and check first

• Pressure to give right now. A real charity will be glad to take your gift tomorrow, after you check.
• They ask for gift cards, a wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or cash. That's how scammers ask to be paid.
• A name that sounds almost like a famous charity. Look-alike names and look-alike websites are common.
• A brand-new charity that pops up right after a disaster or in the news. Check it before you give.
• An unexpected call, text, email, or social media message asking for money. Don't tap the link or call back the number they give. Look up the charity yourself.
• "Thanks for your pledge" for a gift you never promised, or a prize if you donate.
• They can't or won't say how much of your gift goes to the program, or they won't send information in writing.

Ask Grok Bot to help you check

Press Copy, then paste this into your own Grok Bot app. Change the words in [square brackets].

More help: our step-by-step guide to check if a charity is real, and the Form 990 in our Word list.

Sources, checked October 2026: FTC: Before Giving to a Charity; FTC: When donating, support those in need, not a scammer (August 2026); BBB Standards for Charity Accountability; CharityWatch criteria; IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search.