For All Charities:

• What is the mission of the organization, and what programs help accomplish it?
• Is there a contact person who will respond to your questions?
• Find out what percentage of donation dollars go to the actual charitable purpose and how much goes to administration, publicity and fundraising. The most efficient charities spend 75% or more on actual programs, but newer charities often need to spend more on administration and organizational setup.
• Find out how the organization carries out its mission and review its recent accomplishments.
• Collect substantive facts and ignore emotional appeals.
• You might consider asking the organization for a copy of their annual report.
• Use a periodical database like Gale General OneFile to locate news articles about your charity.

Additional Tips for U.S.-based Charities:

All U.S.-based charities must file financial forms with the Internal Revenue Service that show its income and expenditures.

• Check charity evaluation sites like Better Business Bureau and Charity Navigator.

Additonal Tips for International Charities:

Even a small donation can make a huge difference in the lives of the world's lowest-income people, but it is often difficult to find out what the organization is doing with your money.

• Does the charity have a strong track record of success?
• Can you find impartial sources like news articles to verify information the charity provides?
  

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updated 03/29/2011