Top Rated Charities

Groups included on the CharityWatch Top-Rated list generally spend 75% or more of their budgets on programs, spend $25 or less to raise $100 in public support, do not hold excessive assets in reserve, have met CharityWatch's governance benchmarks, and receive "open-book" status for disclosure of basic financial information and documents to CharityWatch. Please see the Criteria section of the website for more information on the rating criteria and methodology that CharityWatch adheres to.

Because many factors determine a worthy charity, we at CharityWatch suggest that you use the ratings on this page not as the sole determining factor in your decision, but rather as an aid.

 

This list is subject to change depending on the information CharityWatch receives concerning charitable organizations.

AFRICAN-AMERICAN
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund A-
National Urban League (National Office) A
AIDS
American Foundation for Children with AIDS B+
American Sexual Health Association A
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation A-
Foundation for AIDS Research A-
Gay Men's Health Crisis B+
AMERICAN INDIAN
American Indian College Fund B+
ANIMAL & ANIMAL PROTECTION
African Wildlife Foundation A-
American Bird Conservancy A
American Humane Association B+
Animal Welfare Institute A+
Bat Conservation International A-
Best Friends Animal Society B+
Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International A
Friends of Animals A
Humane Farming Association A-
Jane Goodall Institute A-
Marine Mammal Center A-
Performing Animal Welfare Society A
PetSmart Charities A+
RedRover B+
Wildlife Conservation Society A
ASIA & ASIAN-AMERICAN
Asia Foundation A
Asia Society A-
Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund A-
Japan Society A
BLIND & VISUALLY IMPAIRED
Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind A
Helen Keller International A
National Federation of the Blind A-
Orbis B+
Prevent Blindness A-
Seva Foundation A
CANCER
Breast Cancer Fund A-
Breast Cancer Research Foundation A+
Cancer Research Institute A
Entertainment Industry Foundation A-
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society B+
LiveStrong Foundation A-
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center A
Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation A
National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund A
Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance A
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network A
Prevent Cancer Foundation B+
Prostate Cancer Foundation A
CHILD PROTECTION
American Humane Association B+
Child Find of America A+
Children's Defense Fund A
Children's Health Fund A-
Marine Toys for Tots Foundation A-
Prevent Child Abuse America (National Office) A+
CHILD SPONSORSHIP
ChildFund International A-
Children Incorporated A
Compassion International A
Pearl S. Buck International A
Save the Children A
Unbound A+
World Vision A-
CIVIL RIGHTS & ADVOCACY
American Civil Liberties Union A-
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation A
Center for Community Change A-
Center for Constitutional Rights A-
Innocence Project A
CONSUMER PROTECTION & LEGAL AID
Action on Smoking and Health A
Government Accountability Project (GAP) A
Innocence Project A
Public Citizen Foundation A
CRIME & FIRE PREVENTION
Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS) A-
Fortune Society A-
DISABLED
Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation A-
Goodwill Industries International (National Office) A
DRUG & ALCOHOL ABUSE
Drug Policy Alliance B+
Partnership for Drug-Free Kids A
ENVIRONMENT
African Wildlife Foundation A-
Alaska Conservation Foundation A-
American Bird Conservancy A
Arbor Day Foundation A-
Center for Biological Diversity A
Conservation Fund A+
Conservation International Foundation A
Defenders of Wildlife A-
Earth Island Institute A-
Earthjustice A
Earthworks A
Environmental Defense Action Fund A+
Environmental Defense Fund A-
Izaak Walton League of America B+
Keep America Beautiful (National Office) A
National Audubon Society B+
National Park Trust A
Natural Resources Defense Council A-
Nature Conservancy B+
Rainforest Action Network A-
Rainforest Alliance A-
Sierra Club Foundation A
Student Conservation Association A-
Trout Unlimited (National Office) A-
Trust for Public Land A
Union of Concerned Scientists A-
Water.org A-
Waterkeeper Alliance A+
Wilderness Society A-
World Resources Institute A
Yosemite Conservancy A-
GUN CONTROL (PRO/CON )
National Rifle Association (NRA) Foundation A
HEALTH - GENERAL
ALS Association (National Office) A-
American Brain Tumor Association A-
American Kidney Fund A+
American Liver Foundation A-
American Red Cross A-
American Sexual Health Association A
Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation A
City of Hope A-
Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America A-
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation A-
Diabetes Action Research and Education Foundation A
Diabetes Research Institute Foundation A-
First Candle (National Office) A
Hearing Health Foundation A
Huntington's Disease Society of America B+
JDRF International A-
Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research A
National Hemophilia Foundation (National Office) A
National Jewish Health A-
National Kidney Foundation B+
National Psoriasis Foundation A-
Parkinson's Disease Foundation B+
PKD Foundation A-
Salk Institute for Biological Studies A
HISPANIC
Hispanic Scholarship Fund A
LatinoJustice PRLDEF A-
HOMELESSNESS & HOUSING
Bowery Residents' Committee A
Center for Community Change A-
Coalition for the Homeless A-
Habitat for Humanity International (National Office) B+
Homes for Our Troops A
National Alliance to End Homelessness A+
HUMAN RIGHTS
Amnesty International of the USA A
Center for Victims of Torture A-
Committee to Protect Journalists A
Human Rights Watch A-
HUMAN SERVICES
American Red Cross A-
The Y (National Office) A
HUNGER
Action Against Hunger-USA A
City Harvest B+
Food Bank for New York City A
Food for the Hungry B+
Global Hunger Project A-
Meals on Wheels America (National Office) A-
One Acre Fund A
INTERNATIONAL RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT
Accion International A-
ActionAid USA A-
Africare A+
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee A+
American Red Cross A-
American Refugee Committee A+
Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation A
CARE A
Catholic Relief Services A+
charity: water A
Church World Service B+
Direct Relief & Direct Relief Foundation A
Doctors Without Borders USA A
Episcopal Relief & Development A
FINCA International A
Fistula Foundation A
Grameen Foundation USA A
HealthRight International A
HIAS A
International Medical Corps A
International Rescue Committee A+
Lutheran World Relief A
Medical Teams International A-
Mennonite Central Committee U.S. A-
Mercy Corps A-
One Acre Fund A
Operation USA A
Opportunity International A
Oxfam-America A-
Partners in Health A+
Project Concern International A-
Project HOPE B+
Rotary Foundation of Rotary International A+
Samaritan's Purse A-
Save the Children A
Seva Foundation A
TechnoServe A
Unbound A+
United Methodist Committee on Relief A+
United States Fund for UNICEF A
Water.org A-
World Concern B+
World Vision A-
JEWISH & ISRAEL
American Jewish Committee B+
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee A+
American Jewish World Service A
Anti-Defamation League & Foundation B+
Bend the Arc - A Jewish Partnership for Justice B+
Friends of the Israel Defense Forces A-
Hadassah A
HIAS A
Jewish National Fund A
New Israel Fund A-
Simon Wiesenthal Center A-
LGBTQ RIGHTS & ADVOCACY
Trevor Project A
LITERACY
Proliteracy Worldwide A-
MENTAL HEALTH & DISABILITIES
Arc of the United States (National Office) A-
Brain & Behavior Research Foundation A+
Mental Health America A-
NAMI B+
Trevor Project A
PEACE & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
AFS-USA B+
Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation A
International Peace Institute A
Physicians for Social Responsibility (National Office) B+
PUBLIC POLICY
Common Cause Education Fund A
Government Accountability Project (GAP) A
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, FAMILY PLANNING, & ABORTION
American Refugee Committee A+
Center for Reproductive Rights A-
EngenderHealth A-
Fistula Foundation A
Guttmacher Institute A-
International Planned Parenthood Federation-Western Hemisphere A-
PAI A
Pathfinder International A
PCI-Media Impact A
Planned Parenthood Federation of America A-
Population Connection B+
Population Council A
Population Services International A+
SENIOR CITIZENS
Meals on Wheels America (National Office) A-
National Council on Aging A+
Unbound A+
TERMINALLY OR CHRONICALLY ILL
Compassion & Choices B+
Give Kids the World B+
Starlight Children's Foundation (National Office) A
Sunshine Foundation (National Office) B+
VETERANS & MILITARY
Armed Services YMCA of the USA A
Bob Woodruff Family Foundation A-
Fisher House Foundation A+
Gary Sinise Foundation A
Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind A
Homes for Our Troops A
Hope For The Warriors A-
Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund A
National Military Family Association A
Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society A
Operation Homefront A
Semper Fi Fund A+
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors B+
Wounded Warriors Family Support A
WOMEN'S HEALTH
Breast Cancer Fund A-
Breast Cancer Research Foundation A+
EngenderHealth A-
Fistula Foundation A
Guttmacher Institute A-
International Planned Parenthood Federation-Western Hemisphere A-
National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund A
Planned Parenthood Federation of America A-
WOMEN'S RIGHTS
Center for Reproductive Rights A-
Global Fund for Women A-
Guttmacher Institute A-
Women for Women International U.S. B+
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America (National Office) A
Boys and Girls Clubs of America (National Office) A
DonorsChoose.org A+
Girls Incorporated (National Office) A
Junior Achievement USA (National Office) B+
Scholarship America A+
YOUTH-RESIDENTIAL
Covenant House B+
SOS Children's Villages - USA B+