Faulty Generalizations Lead to Bad Donating Decisions

Oct 20, 2021

Don't be overly impressed by a few anecdotal examples of what a charity claims to have accomplished. 

CharityWatch.org Kicks Off Charity Fraud Awareness Week: Biggest Takeaway

Oct 18, 2021

The difference between a charity scam and a legitimate, but highly inefficient charity may only be 1%. 

Don’t Let the Golden Rule Get In the Way Of Your Giving

Oct 4, 2021

The Golden Rule tells us to treat others as we would like to be treated, not as they would like to be treated. These two things are not always the...

Ratings of Small and Local Charities

Aug 25, 2021

It's important to understand how smaller charities differ from larger ones so that their financial efficiency and governance can be judged in the appropriate context. 

Welcome to CharityWatch

Aug 2, 2021

Executive Director, Laurie Styron, welcomes you to learn more about CharityWatch's "A+" to "F" ratings.

5 Tips for Avoiding Charity Frauds & Scams

Apr 22, 2021

Your $10 donation to an efficient, effective, and legitimate charity will make a bigger impact in forwarding the cause you want to support than your $1,000 donation to a scammer...

CharityWatch Files Supreme Court Amicus Brief in Support of Charitable Nonprofits

Apr 22, 2021

(Updated April 29, 2021) In a case heard on April 26th, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) debated the merits and constitutionality of a limited disclosure rule...

Why Philanthropy Doesn’t Compensate for Failing to Pay Taxes

Mar 26, 2021

“Last fall, Robert F. Smith, the billionaire founder of Vista Equity Partners, a private equity firm, paid $139 million to federal authorities to settle one of the biggest tax evasion...

The Moral Questions of Giving

Mar 24, 2021

A message from CharityWatch Executive Director, Laurie Styron: Many of us receive significantly more requests for charitable donations than we have the resources to fulfill. As we attempt to narrow down...

Your World, Your Money Podcast: When Giving Can Go Wrong, featuring Laurie Styron

Dec 3, 2020

Listen to CharityWatch's Executive Director being interviewed by The Global Thinking Foundation to hear tips on wise giving to charity and how to avoid common charity accounting tricks that inflate perceived...

Our Hope for a Better World is Reflected in Our Acts of Giving

Nov 2, 2020

A message from CharityWatch Executive Director, Laurie Styron:  If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that suffering exists on a spectrum. However each of us measures success and stability in our...

Leaders of ‘We Build The Wall’ Crowdfunding Campaign Charged with Defrauding Donors; More Than $25 Million Was Raised Despite Red Flags

Aug 21, 2020

“As alleged, the defendants defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors, capitalizing on their interest in funding a border wall to raise millions of dollars, under the false pretense that all...