10 Top-Rated Charities for Year-End Donations

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If the holidays put you in a generous mood or you’re looking to possibly lower your 2016 tax bill by donating to a nonprofit organization, consider giving to a charity like the Children’s Aid Society.

This New York City-based nonprofit devoted to helping children in poverty just became the first nonprofit ever to earn Charity Navigator’s four-star rating for 16 consecutive years, Charity Navigator announced Monday.

Charity Navigator’s top-10 list of nonprofits that have earned its highest rating for the most consecutive years now reads:

  • The Children’s Aid Society (16 consecutive years)
  • Energy Outreach Colorado (15)
  • Institute for Justice (15)
  • American Kidney Fund (15)
  • National Education for Assistance Dog Services (15)
  • Kids Alive International (14)
  • PAWS Chicago (14)
  • National Women’s Law Center (14)
  • United Way of Central Alabama (14)
  • Teach For America (14)

Charity Navigator is what’s known as a charity evaluator, meaning it examines how nonprofit organizations spend their money and govern themselves, for example.

Other examples of charity evaluators include CharityWatch and the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance, also known as Give.org.

Charity Navigator in particular evaluates nonprofits by examining their financial records to determine how they perform in two broad areas: their finances and their accountability and transparency.

It says of its ratings:

Our ratings show givers how efficiently we believe a charity will use their support today, how well it has sustained its programs and services over time and their level of commitment to good governance, best practices and openness with information. … We provide these ratings so that charitable givers/social investors can make intelligent giving decisions, and so that the nonprofit sector can improve its performance.

To learn more about finding the right nonprofit organization for your money, check out “6 Tips to Donate to Charity the Smart Way.”

Do you plan to give to charity this year? Tell us about it by commenting below or on our Facebook page.

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