Charity Watchdogs: Who They Are and What Each One Misses

June 19, 2024

Vladislava Petrova

Hands reviewing printed financial documents with a pen on a wooden desk beside a tablet

A charity watchdog is an independent organization that evaluates charities on public financial and governance data so donors can compare them without reading the filings themselves. Four cover most of the ground in the United States. CharityWatch grades financial efficiency, Charity Navigator scores the broadest range of organizations, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance tests charities against published standards, and Candid publishes discl