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The Best Charities for YOU – 2nd Edition

 

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The Best Charities for YOU - 2nd EditionCut through the noise of “experts” and “rated” charities and discover strong charities dedicated to the work YOU care about.

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When it comes to giving, who defines “the best” — who should you trust?

Every year, “experts,” rating systems, media outlets, even grocery stores push their favorite charities. But that’s their agenda, not yours.

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You’ve poured your heart into earning your money. You shouldn’t have to guess where it goes.

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  • Stop guessing and start knowing whether the charity is strong and effective.
  • Be confident that your generosity is funding strong, effective work that you care about most.
  • Ignore the noise of unsolicited advice, mailers and checkout-counter guilt.
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Happy holidays – scammers want to take advantage of your generosity

Charity Fake News

BALTIMORE – December 10, 2021, reported by WMAR2news:

“According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers reported losing $1.6 billion to charity fraud so far this year. The median amount lost is around $1,000.”

“A Maryland woman said someone knocked on her door seeking money for boxes to send to disabled veterans suffering from PTSD. He had a business card and a story, so she gave him $40.”

After the fact, the woman found the real campaign online. It ended in 2018.

Her generous gift was gone to the pocket of a scammer.

Link: WMAR2news article.

Double damage

“Charity” fakers do double damage — they steal from us and they steal from those we want to help with our donated dollars.

Check before You Donate

The key to avoiding charity fakes is to check if the group is recognized by the IRS as a nonprofit or charity. CharityCheck101.org helps you do that for free with its Directory Search and Reverse Lookup pages. Get the organization’s EIN and then dig deeper.

Fakes can be non-existent “charities” and can also be groups that spend little or nothing on their purported mission. It’s easy to check spending by reviewing the group’s public IRS Form 990. Find a 990 super fast and free. 

We created CharityCheck101.org so you can quickly check both charity identity and tax status

Avoid Fakes. Not every group that looks, sounds or feels like a charity is truly a charity. Fake “charities” often adopt names similar to legitimate charities, siphoning off dollars needed for good works. They’re specially active around crises, natural disasters and other big news items and causes. Do a charity check to make sure the group is truly a charity.

Confirm Identity. There are more than 1.7 million organizations recognized as tax-exempt by the IRS. Their names are often similar. Similar names easily produce confusion. More than 17,000 organizations have “Veteran” in their names. More than 1,300 have “Habitat for Humanity.” More than 80 have “American Cancer.” Do a charity check to make sure you are supporting exactly the group you think.

Confirm Tax Status. Do a charity check to find the organization’s tax status. Before you give, you should know the answers to these two questions –

  • Is the organization recognized as a charity or nonprofit by the IRS?
  • Will a donation be deductible as a charitable contribution?

Utah man grabs $500,000 using fake “veterans charities”

Charity Fake NewsSt. George, Utah — As reported by Southern Utah Now, a Utah man (Travis Deloy Peterson) has been indicted by a federal grand jury because for years he allegedly used millions of robocalls to urge people to donate vehicles and other valuable items by falsely claiming their donations would go to veterans’ charities and were tax-deductible. He’s been indicted by a federal grand jury on mail and wire fraud charges for operating a fraudulent charity scheme.

According to the U.S. Attorney, the indictment, and other information presented in court: Between approximately April 2012 and July 2018, Peterson established and registered multiple corporate entities, including Vehicles for Veterans LLC, Medal of Honor, Act of Valor, Donate Real Estate LLC, Donate That Car LLC MI, Donate That Car LLC NV, Telefunding LLC, Tiny Towns R.E. LLC, Victims Relief LLC, Veterans of America, and Saving Our Soldiers in Nevada, Michigan and Utah. Each of these companies was purportedly a tax-exempt charitable organization that Peterson established to help veterans and their families. None of these companies, however, was an actual charity with tax exempt status. Peterson in fact never owned or operated a single charity that benefitted veterans.

A quick check at CharityCheck101.org would have been a warning to any potential donor — none of these “veterans charities” were in fact charities recognized by the IRS. We created CharityCheck101.org so you can quickly check both charity identity and tax status

Avoid Fakes. Not every group that looks, sounds or feels like a charity is truly a charity. Fake “charities” often adopt names similar to legitimate charities, siphoning off dollars needed for good works. They’re specially active around crises, natural disasters and other big news items and causes. Do a charity check to make sure the group is truly a charity.

Confirm Identity. There are more than 1.7 million organizations recognized as tax-exempt by the IRS. Their names are often similar. Similar names easily produce confusion. More than 17,000 organizations have “Veteran” in their names. More than 1,300 have “Habitat for Humanity.” More than 80 have “American Cancer.” Do a charity check to make sure you are supporting exactly the group you think.

Confirm Tax Status. Do a charity check to find the organization’s tax status. Before you give, you should know the answers to these two questions –

  • Is the organization recognized as a charity or nonprofit by the IRS?
  • Will a donation be deductible as a charitable contribution?

A dot org website doesn’t mean it’s a charity

In today’s LA Times columnist Michael Hiltzik raises the alarm over the sale of the .org (or dot org) domain registry to a private equity firm. A big concern here is that the private equity firm has a captive audience (charities using the dot org domain) and can easily raise prices for use of the dot org domain extension. Read the LA Times article . . . 

The dot org domain extension started raising a different issue for me as early as 2012, when I wrote at SeriousGivers.org about the fact that a dot org didn’t mean you were dealing with a charity. It’s a way for a charity faker or scammer to draw you in. 

Here’s an excerpt from what I wrote back in 2012:

Charity BaloneyBaloney

  • It’s time for “Charity Baloney” — where I do my best to slice up myths related to charities.
  • Today’s Charity Baloney is the belief that a dot org website means you’re dealing with a charity.
    • The three most common domains are .com, .org and .net (aka dot com, dot org and dot net)
    • We’ve all gotten used to dot com — which we think of as a business or commercial site.
    • And charities that I know of that have websites typically use dot org.
    • I wonder if fishermen use dot net.
  • I took a look at the site DomainRegister.com and it told us

“Originally, it was suggested that .COM be used primarily for commercial businesses, .NET for network related organizations and .ORG for nonprofit groups. This quickly became unworkable and consequently, in the case of .COM, .NET and .ORG, a decision was made to rely on registrants to choose the TLD (Top Level Domain) they wish. In fact, many registrants (domain owners) order their domain name as .COM, .NET and .ORG.

.COM, .NET and .ORG are unrestricted open domains.”

  • The truth is any group or even individual can have a dot org website.
    • Did you know that there’s a google.org — google is clearly a business, not a charity —  google.org is a separate website
  • Let’s have some fun with this, what would be some interesting dot org domain names that would make it clear that org domain doesn’t mean it’s a charity? How about
    • These are available
      • totallycommercial.org
      • notacharity.org
      • and my favorite, cyborgmorgue.org — say that three times fast.
  • Love to hear from you — what dot org name would make this totally clear to everyone?
  • In the meantime, don’t be fooled into thinking a dot org website means you’re dealing with a charity.

Watch out for fake military charities

Charity Fake NewsCharity Fake News

From the Hot Springs [Arkansas] Sentinel-Record,

LITTLE ROCK — Scammers attempt to steal money from Arkansans by posing as veterans charities and requesting donations year-round, but the Arkansas attorney general’s office says that with Veterans Day it is important consumers are able to recognize charitable solicitation fraud and distinguishing between fake and real charities.

“It’s unbelievable that con artists will create charities named similarly to existing, trustworthy organizations in the name of our beloved and dedicated military,” Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said in a news release. “Knowing and asking the correct questions will alert Arkansans to potential scams. I am determined to protect Arkansans’ hard-earned money and especially those helping veterans and our brave servicemen and women.”

Read more . . . 

Charity Fakes

Whether tying themselves to a prominent cause or preying on compassion related to a natural or human disaster, “charity” fakes are a year-round plague. And “charity” fakers do double damage — they steal from you and they steal from those you want to help with your donated dollars.

Check before You Donate

The key to avoiding charity fakes is to check if the group is recognized by the IRS as a nonprofit or charity. CharityCheck101.org helps you do that for free with its Directory Search and Reverse Lookup pages. Get the organization’s EIN and then dig deeper.

Fakes can be non-existent “charities” and can also be groups that spend little or nothing on their purported mission. It’s easy to check spending by reviewing the group’s public IRS Form 990. Find a 990 super fast and free. 

Hurricane Dorian-Related Scams

Charity Fake NewsCharity Fake News

From the Tampa Bay Newspapers, September 10, 2019,

One of the unfortunate byproducts of most any disaster is scam artists who try to take advantage of people’s generosity and desire to help others. Hurricane Dorian is no exception.

“We want to encourage those that want to give and help. Lives were lost, property was destroyed, it’s so important that we help our neighbors,” Attorney General Ashley Moody said in a press release. “At the same time… there are often people that want to take advantage and scam Floridians and take their hard-earned money when they’re just trying to help. Avoid solicitors using high pressure tactics that persuade you to give, determine whether a charity is legitimate by visiting CharityNavigator.org, and make sure that, when you’re evaluating what charity to give to, you’re asking questions.”

About CharityNavigator.org

There are more than 1.7 million nonprofits registered with the IRS. CharityNavigator.org does excellent work. CharityNavigator.org, however, rates only about 9,000 of them. Many solid charities are not rated. So you’ll need to do some more digging on them. See Check before You Donate below.

Charity Fakes

Whether tying themselves to a prominent cause or preying on compassion related to a natural or human disaster, “charity” fakes are a year-round plague. And “charity” fakers do double damage — they steal from you and they steal from those you want to help with your donated dollars.

Check before You Donate

The key to avoiding charity fakes is to check if the group is recognized by the IRS as a nonprofit or charity. CharityCheck101.org helps you do that for free with its Directory Search and Reverse Lookup pages. Get the organization’s EIN and then dig deeper.

Fakes can be non-existent “charities” and can also be groups that spend little or nothing on their purported mission. It’s easy to check spending by reviewing the group’s public IRS Form 990. Find a 990 super fast and free. 

El Paso and Dayton Tragedy-Related Scams

Charity Fake NewsCharity Fake News

From the United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA),

In the wake of the recent shootings in El Paso, TX, and Dayton, OH, [CISA] advises users to watch out for possible malicious cyber activity seeking to capitalize on these tragic events. Users should exercise caution in handling emails related to the shootings, even if they appear to originate from trusted sources. Fraudulent emails often contain links or attachments that direct users to phishing or malware-infected websites. Emails requesting donations from duplicitous charitable organizations are also common after tragic events. Be wary of fraudulent social media pleas, calls, texts, donation websites, and door-to-door solicitations relating to these events.

Read more . . . 

Charity Fakes

Whether tying themselves to a prominent cause or preying on compassion related to a natural or human disaster, “charity” fakes are a year-round plague. And “charity” fakers do double damage — they steal from you and they steal from those you want to help with your donated dollars.

Check before You Donate

The key to avoiding charity fakes is to check if the group is recognized by the IRS as a nonprofit or charity. CharityCheck101.org helps you do that for free with its Directory Search and Reverse Lookup pages. Get the organization’s EIN and then dig deeper.

Fakes can be non-existent “charities” and can also be groups that spend little or nothing on their purported mission. It’s easy to check spending by reviewing the group’s public IRS Form 990. Find a 990 super fast and free. 

Charity fake scheme targets Marine Corps families

Charity Fake NewsCharity Fake News

From U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of South Carolina:

The charity was in operation from May 2014 through 2016, and it received approximately $481,000 in donations during that time period. However, despite Simpson’s claims that 100% of the donations would go to Marines and their families through the charity’s programs, only about $90,000—or about 19% of the donations—were used for charitable purposes. Simpson diverted the remainder of the monies in the charitable accounts, approximately $391,000, for his personal use and enrichment.

Read more . . . 

Charity Fakes

Whether tying themselves to a prominent cause or preying on compassion related to a natural disaster, “charity” fakes are a year-round plague. And “charity” fakers do double damage — they steal from you and they steal from those you want to help with your donated dollars.

Check before You Donate

The key to avoiding charity fakes is to check if the group is recognized by the IRS as a nonprofit or charity. CharityCheck101.org helps you do that for free with its Directory Search and Reverse Lookup pages. Get the organization’s EIN and then dig deeper.

Fakes can be non-existent “charities” and can also be groups that spend little or nothing on their purported mission. It’s easy to check spending by reviewing the group’s public IRS Form 990. Find a 990 super fast and free. 

Charity fakers grab $220k from NY City

Charity Fake NewsCharity Fake News

Come on – public agencies. Check the identity and tax status of “charity” groups before you give them money. 

From (Staten Island) SILive.com:

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Two Staten Islanders — one of whom was twice convicted in schemes where he impersonated an attorney — set up a fraudulent non-profit organization and pocketed more than $220,000 in funding the city provided to the charity for services that were never provided, authorities allege.

Read more . . . 

Charity Fakes

Whether tying themselves to a prominent cause or preying on compassion related to a natural disaster, “charity” fakes are a year-round plague. And “charity” fakers do double damage — they steal from you and they steal from those you want to help with your donated dollars.

Check before You Donate

The key to avoiding charity fakes is to check if the group is recognized by the IRS as a nonprofit or charity. CharityCheck101.org helps you do that for free with its Directory Search and Reverse Lookup pages. Get the organization’s EIN and then dig deeper.

Fakes can be non-existent “charities” and can also be groups that spend little or nothing on their purported mission. It’s easy to check spending by reviewing the group’s public IRS Form 990. Find a 990 super fast and free. 

America’s 50 worst charities

Charity Fake NewsCharity Fake News

From the Tampa Bay Times (published 2017):

The 50 worst charities in America devote less than 4 percent of donations raised to direct cash aid. Some charities give even less. Over a decade, one diabetes charity raised nearly $14 million and gave about $10,000 to patients. Six spent nothing at all on direct cash aid.

Read more . . . 

Charity Fakes

Whether tying themselves to a prominent cause or preying on compassion related to a natural disaster, “charity” fakes are a year-round plague. And “charity” fakers do double damage — they steal from you and they steal from those you want to help with your donated dollars.

The 50 worst charities named by the Tampa Bay Times do exist as nonprofits and charities, but they do next to nothing to help those they purport to raise funds for.

Check before You Donate

The key to avoiding charity fakes is to check if the group is recognized by the IRS as a nonprofit or charity. CharityCheck101.org helps you do that for free with its Directory Search and Reverse Lookup pages. Get the organization’s EIN and then dig deeper.

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The CharityCheck101 directory contains all 1,966,267 nonprofits in the IRS master file list as of May 12, 2026.

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