For various reasons, people want to donate and find a purpose that is similar to the situation they feel so they want to help. Providing assistance can also be done through charities or also provide direct assistance to people in need. If you choose to donate through a nonprofit organization to address people’s problems, we need to find the best organizations and work effectively so that our donations can really make an impact.
By doing your own research, you can find out what traits a good nonprofit organization has, to determine if it is the best nonprofit organization to donate to. Doing research is an important step before you make a donation. So, you can be sure that your donation will go to a group that deserves your help. They will make the most of your donation.
There are several characteristics of a good nonprofit that you can look for. But before that, when you’re trying to help a charity, maybe you can think about what issues are important to you.
What problem do you hope to solve and what causes it? Once you’ve figured out what important issues you want to support solving, you can then find out which nonprofit organizations share the same goals and work effectively.
How to Choose Best Nonprofit Organizations To Donate
Donating to an effective organization will give you the opportunity to do more good things. Because with organizational effectiveness, even a small contribution can help them to do more things.
The following is a way to find out if they are included in the best nonprofit organizations to donate to based on the characteristics of the organization. We’ve also provided a list of the best organizations to make it easier for you to donate based on the cause you want to support.
Have an important mission and a great leader
Identifying an important mission is the main goal of nonprofit organizations, to find out if they are a good organization, you need to observe whether their mission is to fill a need, solve problems, improve quality of life and provide comfort or pleasure.
Focus on a specific mission
Laser focus allows us to achieve more specific goals. The best organizations have a focus on quality as opposed to quantity. With a specific mission, they can develop and measure their goals.
Able to explain what they do and show their work
Donations are also an investment to help change the lives and circumstances of others. Therefore, great organizations must be able to explain what they do and show the results of their programs.
Have various sources of funds
One source of funding alone will not be sufficient for the organization to survive. Well, there are several funding channels that can be used by non-profit organizations, namely donations from individuals, foundations, and local businesses, special events, investment income, government grants, and payment for services.
Continuously improve the organization
One of the traits of the best nonprofit organizations to donate to is the nature of those who continuously make organizational updates. They know that evaluation will be useful to ensure that the organization is keeping pace with the changes that are taking place so that they continue to practice best practices.
Reach the right audience
Reaching the right audience is essential for nonprofits to achieve the goals of their mission. Charities need to identify key audiences to help them meet the mission. They need to reach people who can benefit from their programs and services, potential donors, and people who support the organization such as staff, board members, and volunteers.
Plan for the future
Planning for the future is essential for a good nonprofit organization. One sign that this is one of the best nonprofit organizations to donate to is that they have future plans that provide an opportunity for the organization to gather people with the right skills. Besides, they use organizational resources to address their mission.
Know what to say and know how to thank
A good nonprofit will tell you why they need your funds and how they will use your funds. The organization gives appropriate awards to donors based on the number of donations they make. They give the right appreciation to the right person or organization because they know that they cannot work alone and need a long-term relationship.
Best Charities To Donate
The best nonprofit organizations to donate to are constantly seeking best practices from other organizations. Besides, they study and evaluate programs and services. These nonprofits are committed to measuring results and publishing them. Not only that, but they also aspire to be the best among them.
Once you’ve looked at the list of what defines a nonprofit as a good organization and decide to support it financially, you’ll need to find a legitimate nonprofit. Even if you already know the characteristics of the best nonprofits to donate to. There are so many organizations to choose from. However, giving doesn’t have to be difficult? That’s why we’ve rounded up some of the best charities to donate to based on their focus.
- COVID-19 charities: World Central Kitchen, Crisis Text Line, Heart to Heart International, The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund, Relief International
- Animal charity: American Humane (americanhumane.org)
- Cancer charity: Cancer Research Institute (cancerresearch.org)
- Legal aid charity: The Innocence Project (innocentproject.org)
- Veterans charity: Hope for the Warriors (hopeforwarriors.org)
- Women’s Health charity: Center for Reproductive Rights (reproductiverights.org)
- Education charity: Scholarship America (scholarshipamerica.org)
- Disaster Relief Charity: Operation USA (opusa.org)
- Alzheimer’s charity: The Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org)
- LGBTQ charity: The Trevor Project (thetrevorproject.org)
- Environmental charity: World Resources Institute (wri.org)
- Leukemia & Lymphoma charity: Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (lls.org)
- Immigration charity: The National Immigration Law Center/NILC (nilc.org)
- Civil rights charity: The American Civil Liberties Union/ACLU (aclu.org)
- Senior citizens charity: National Council on Aging (ncoa.org)
- Children’s charity: Prevent Child Abuse America (preventchildabuse.org)
- Government accountability charity: Government Accountability Project/GAP (whistleblower.org)
- Homeless charity: National Alliance to End Homelessness (endhomelessness.org)
- HIV/AIDS charity: Foundation for AIDS Research/amfAR (amfar.org)
- Wildlife charity: Africa Wildlife Foundation (awf.org)
- Women’s rights charity: Global Fund for Women (globalfundforwomen.org)
- International aid charity: charity: water (charitywater.org)
- Hunger-relief charity: Action Against Hunger (actionagainsthunger.org)
- Hearing Impaired charity: Hearing Health Foundation (hearinghealthfoundation.org)
- Mental health charity: Mental Health America (mentalhealthamerica.net)
References :
- 10 Traits That Make Nonprofits Great
- The 30 Best Charities to Donate to in the US (2021)
- The 16 Best Charities To Donate To In 2022 – USA Charitable Organizations List