Top-Rated Charities

Groups included on the CharityWatch Top-Rated list generally spend 75% or more of their budgets on programs, spend $25 or less to raise $100 in public support, do not hold excessive assets in reserve, have met CharityWatch's governance benchmarks, and receive "open-book" status for disclosure of basic financial information and documents to CharityWatch. Please see the Our Process page of the website for more information on the rating criteria and methodology that CharityWatch adheres to.

Because many factors determine a worthy charity, we at CharityWatch suggest that you use the ratings on this page not as the sole determining factor in your decision, but rather as an aid.

This list is subject to change depending on the information CharityWatch receives concerning charitable organizations.

All Top Charities Addiction & Recovery Animals Asian American Black American Blind & Low Vision Cancer Child Protection & Sponsorship Civil Rights & Social Justice Consumer Protection & Legal Aid Environment & Climate Change Gun Control / Gun Rights Health - General Hispanic & Latin American Housing & Housing Equity Human Rights Human Services & Domestic Aid Hunger & Food Policy International Relief & Development Jewish & Israel LGBTQ+ Literacy & Education Mental Health Native American Older Adults Peace & International Relations Police & Firefighters Public Policy Reproductive Health Terminally or Chronically Ill Veterans & Military Women’s Issues & Advocacy Youth Youth-Residential

Addiction & Recovery Charities

Charity	Rating
Drug Policy Alliance	A-

Animals Charities

Charity	Rating
American Humane Society	B+
Best Friends Animal Society	B+
Born Free USA united with Animal Protection Institute	A-
Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International	A-
Friends of Animals	A+
Marine Mammal Center	A-
National Disaster Search Dog Foundation	A-
PetSmart Charities	A+
RedRover	A-
Save the Chimps	A-
The Wild Animal Sanctuary	A
Wildlife Conservation Society	A

Asian American Charities

Charity	Rating
Asia Foundation	A
Asia Society	B+

Black American Charities

Charity	Rating
National Urban League (National Office)	A-

Blind & Low Vision Charities

Charity	Rating
Helen Keller International	A
Learning Ally	A-
Perkins School For The Blind	B+
Prevent Blindness	A-
Seva Foundation	A-

Cancer Charities

Charity	Rating
Breast Cancer Prevention Partners	B+
Breast Cancer Research Foundation	A
Cancer Research Institute	A
CancerCare	A+
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute	A
Entertainment Industry Foundation / Stand Up To Cancer	A-
Lustgarten Foundation	B+
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	A-
Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation	B+
National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund	A
National Breast Cancer Foundation	B+
Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance	A
Prostate Cancer Foundation	A

Child Protection & Sponsorship Charities

Charity	Rating
ChildFund International	B+
Children Incorporated	A
Children International	A-
Children's Health Fund	A-
Compassion International	A
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption	A
Marine Toys for Tots Foundation	A-
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children	A-
Pearl S. Buck International	A
Ronald McDonald House Charities (National Office)	A
Save the Children	A-
Unbound	A+
World Vision	A-

Civil Rights & Social Justice Charities

Charity	Rating
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)	A
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Foundation	A
Center for Constitutional Rights	B+
Electronic Frontier Foundation	B+
Fortune Society	A-
Institute for Justice	A

Consumer Protection & Legal Aid Charities

Charity	Rating
Food and Water Watch	B+
Media Research Center	B+
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine	B+
Project on Government Oversight (POGO)	A
Public Citizen Foundation	A

Environment & Climate Change Charities

Charity	Rating
350.org	A+
African Wildlife Foundation	B+
Alaska Conservation Foundation	A-
Amazon Conservation Team	A
American Bird Conservancy	A-
American Forests	A
Appalachian Mountain Club	A-
Center for Biological Diversity	A
Chesapeake Bay Foundation	B+
Conservation Fund	A+
Conservation International Foundation	A
Defenders of Wildlife	B+
Ducks Unlimited	B+
Earth Island Institute	A
Earthjustice	A
Earthworks	A
Environmental Defense Action Fund	A
Environmental Working Group	A
Green America	A-
Izaak Walton League of America (National Office)	A
National Audubon Society	B+
National Forest Foundation	A-
National Park Trust	A-
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)	A-
NRDC Action Fund	A
Oceana	B+
Rainforest Action Network	A
Rainforest Alliance	A-
Rainforest Trust	A+
Save the Redwoods League	A-
Sierra Club Foundation	A-
Solar Cookers International (SCI)	A-
Trout Unlimited (National Office)	A-
Trust for Public Land	A
Union of Concerned Scientists	A
Water.org	B+
Waterkeeper Alliance	A-
World Resources Institute	A+
World Wildlife Fund	B+

Gun Control / Gun Rights Charities

Charity	Rating
Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence	B+
Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund	A

Health - General Charities

Charity	Rating
American Brain Tumor Association	A-
American Diabetes Association	A-
American Kidney Fund	A+
American Lung Association	B+
Breakthrough T1D	A-
Can Do Multiple Sclerosis	B+