Ratings

We only rate 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations — these are US-based organizations commonly referred to as public charities that work all around the world. With a few exceptions, organizations must have an Accountability & Finance score or an Impact program evaluation to be eligible for a Zero to Four-Star rating.

Our site also includes basic information on charities that don't meet our rating eligibility criteria. Our goal is to give you as much information as possible to guide your giving decisions.

Charities can earn ratings by logging into the Charity Navigator Nonprofit Portal and providing the necessary data.

Eligible charities receive a zero to four-star star rating — this is determined by the weighted sum of the organization’s individual beacon scores (0-100).

Score	Assessment	Description
90+	Great	Exceeds or meets best practices and industry standards across almost all areas. Likely to be a highly-effective charity.
75 - 89	Good	Exceeds or meets best practices and industry standards across some areas.
60 - 74	Needs improvement	Meets or nearly meets industry standards in a few areas and underperforms most charities.
50 - 59	Poor	Fails to meet industry standards in most areas and underperforms almost all charities.
< 50	Very poor	Performs below industry standards and well underperforms nearly all charities.

We recognize that not all metrics and beacons equally predict a charity’s success. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organization’s overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned.

Charities can earn beacons by logging into the Charity Navigator Nonprofit Portal and providing the necessary data.

Providing Guidance Through Beacons

Our Encompass Rating System™ provides a comprehensive analysis of charity performance across four key domains, which we call "beacons." These beacons and their individual ratings can be seen for each of the charities you search. Learn more about each beacon below.

We are continually developing new methodologies to deliver a more robust and comprehensive evaluation of charity effectiveness and efficiency. Our team not only relies on research and analysis, but also engages donors, sector leaders, charity executives, academics, and many other stakeholders to identify, develop, and validate new metrics and approaches. For more information, visit our methodology guidebook.

Impact & Measurement

Find out how much benefit the charity’s program(s) achieve relative to the cost required to run it.
Accountability & Finance

Find out if the charity is accountable, transparent, and financially efficient and sustainable.
Leadership & Adaptability

Find out if the charity has the leadership capacity, strategic plan, and ability to adapt or respond to changing circumstances in order to better achieve its mission.
Culture & Community

Find out if the charity implements practices that strengthen its overall organizational health and is responsive to its beneficiaries.

Interested in seeing our evolution over time? Read our Release Notes to stay updated on improvements made to our website, rating criteria, and methodology.

Use Our Ratings to Guide Your Giving

Browse by cause area and apply filters to find highly rated charities working on the causes closest to your heart.

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How We Rate Charities

Eligibility criteria

What the ratings mean

Beacon weights

Providing Guidance Through Beacons

Use Our Ratings to Guide Your Giving