How to give back: animals, hunger, homelessness.
How to check where a charity's money goes in ten minutes, what the public record says about well-known groups, and ways to help with your time or with goods. Every fact has its source and date. We recommend no charity.
The one thing most donors do not know
The big national animal groups are not your local shelter. The ASPCA says it is "not an umbrella organization with local chapters." ASPCA FAQ Humane World for Animals (called The Humane Society of the United States until 2025) says it "doesn't operate or oversee local shelters or rescue groups." Humane World FAQ Your local SPCA or humane society is its own nonprofit, or part of your city or county.
The same is true for hunger: Feeding America "does not operate food banks or run meal programs." Your local food bank is its own nonprofit. Feeding America
What this page is. How to check where a charity's money goes, what the public filings and charity raters say about well-known groups in three causes, and ways to help with your time or with goods. We show facts, who reported them and when. We do not tell you where to give.
Check any charity in ten minutes
Seven checks, with direct links. Tick them off as you go. Nothing you tick is sent or saved.
Search the name. It shows whether gifts are tax deductible, whether its tax-exempt status was taken away, and its filings. The IRS says some paper returns from 2021 on are still being processed.
Look up its Form 990: money in, money spent, pay of its top people, by year.
Charity Navigator gives 0 to 4 stars. CharityWatch gives A+ to F grades after adjusting the figures; it rates fewer, larger charities and some pages need a paid membership. give.org checks 20 standards, such as at least 65% of spending on programs and no more than 35% of related contributions on fundraising.
Not always. CharityWatch says many charities with 3 or 4 Charity Navigator stars get an F from it (2023). That is one rater's view of the others. Look at more than one.
Most states register charities and paid fundraisers through the attorney general or secretary of state. Find yours on this list.
Read Part III of its Form 990, the charity's own words on its three largest programs. See the short guide below.
Do not be rushed, especially by phone, and do not trust caller ID. Credit card or check is safer. A request for cryptocurrency, a wire transfer, a payment app or gift cards is a warning sign.
0 of 7 checked
How to read a Form 990 in ten minutes
Most charities file this public tax form every year. Open one on ProPublica, then look at:
- Part I (page 1): total money in and spent, fundraising costs (lines 16a and 16b), and how many board members are independent (lines 3 and 4). Charity Navigator
- Part III: the charity's own description of its three largest programs and what each cost.
- Part VI, line 5: whether it reported a "material diversion" of assets (money or property used in a way it should not have been).
- Part VII and Schedule J: pay for officers, directors and the highest-paid staff.
- Part IX, line 25: all spending, split into programs (column B), management (C) and fundraising (D). Program share is column B divided by column A. Lines 1 to 3 show grants to other groups and people.
- Schedule O has the charity's written explanations. Schedule I lists grants over $5,000 to U.S. groups. Schedule G covers paid fundraisers and events.
- Part XII: whether its financial statements were audited.
Churches and some religious bodies do not have to file a Form 990.
Why the overhead number alone can mislead
In 2013 the heads of give.org, GuideStar and Charity Navigator wrote together that the share spent on administration and fundraising is a poor measure of how well a charity works, and that donors should weigh "transparency, governance, leadership, and results." They also said that "at the extremes" it can help find problems. The letter Coverage
A 2009 study of four youth nonprofits found they reported overhead of 13 to 22 percent while their real rates were 17 to 35 percent, and that too little spent on basics showed up as broken computers and untrained staff. Stanford Social Innovation Review
So: a very low program share or a very high fundraising cost is worth a closer look. Beyond that, ask what the programs achieve. The number also depends on accounting choices, such as counting part of a mail appeal as "public education," or how donated goods are valued. That is one reason raters can disagree.
Animals, hunger, homelessness
For each cause: how the money moves, what the filings and raters say about well-known groups, and how to help without money. Every row links its sources. Where two sources give different numbers, we show both.
How the system works
Most local humane societies and SPCAs are independent nonprofits, or city or county agencies, with their own boards. The Richmond SPCA in Virginia says SPCAs are "all operating independently of one another." Richmond SPCA
The ASPCA and Humane World for Animals mainly run their own national programs and also give grants. In 2025 the ASPCA's grants to other groups were 6.9% of its spending. ASPCA audit Humane World's grants were $38.8 million, including grants abroad. Humane World audit Both count part of their mail (and, for Humane World, TV) appeals as program spending ("public education"), and both show this in their audits.
U.S. shelters reported 5.8 million dogs and cats coming in during 2025, 4.2 million adoptions, 638,000 returned to owners and 757,000 that died or were euthanized. Shelter Animals Count
What that means for a gift: money to a national group pays for its national programs. To help a certain shelter, give to that shelter.
Well-known animal groups
Ratings shown are the ones we could open on November 14, 2026. A blank does not mean a bad rating.
| Organization and what it does | Latest year | Total expenses | Program share (whose figure) | Ratings, with dates | Notes (documented facts) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASPCAAmerican Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals National group in New York that runs its own programs (shelter and vet services in five cities, cruelty investigations and disaster rescue, a forensic science center, lobbying, public education) and makes grants to shelters and rescues. | Calendar 2025 | $421.8 million (its 2025 audit). $387.9 million on its 2024 Form 990. | 74.9% by the ASPCA's own 2025 audit. About $73.3 million of that program total is the program part of educational mailings that also ask for money (audit, Note 9). Audit | Charity Navigator: 4 of 4 stars, score 99, based on its 2024 Form 990 (viewed November 14, 2026). Charity Navigator CharityWatch: we found no rating. give.org: not checked. | Its FAQ says it is "not an umbrella organization with local chapters" and that gifts "cannot be specified or designated to a particular program or fund." ASPCA FAQ Grants to other groups: $29.1 million in 2025, 6.9% of its expenses. Audit |
| Humane World for AnimalsCalled The Humane Society of the United States until February 2025 National and international advocacy and animal care group in Washington, DC: campaigns on puppy mills and factory farming, rescue and disaster response, care centers and wildlife sanctuaries, and pet and rural vet programs. | Calendar 2025 | $204.1 million (2025 Form 990, U.S. group). $233.3 million with its international arm and a land trust (2025 audit). | 72.8% by its 2025 consolidated audit. Audit Its own FAQ says "nearly 71%" of gifts go to animal protection programs; the FAQ does not give a year. FAQ Of $59.0 million in mail and media that mix program and fundraising content, $22.2 million was counted as program (audit, Note 21). | Charity Navigator: 4 of 4 stars (viewed November 14, 2026; the data year was not shown). Charity Navigator CharityWatch: we found no rating. give.org: not checked. | Its shelter FAQ says it "doesn't operate or oversee local shelters or rescue groups." Shelter FAQ Grants to other groups: $38.8 million in 2025 across all its arms, including grants outside the U.S.; the share reaching U.S. local shelters is not stated. Audit Legal name changed February 3, 2025 (its 2025 audit, Note 1). Audit Public launch February 19, 2025. Announcement |
| Best Friends Animal Society Runs a large no-kill sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, plus adoption centers and programs working to end the killing of dogs and cats in U.S. shelters, with more than 4,400 partner groups. | Year ended September 30, 2025 | $175.7 million (2025 Form 990). The give.org review used its 2023 audit: $338.5 million. The sources we read do not explain the gap; check the filings. | 87% (give.org, from the 2023 audited statements). give.org We did not confirm a figure from the 2025 Form 990. | Charity Navigator: 4 of 4 stars (viewed November 14, 2026). Charity Navigator give.org: "Standards Not Met" (issued December 2024, expires May 2027). 5 of 12 board members, including the chair, are directly compensated (Standard 4); it meets the other 19 standards. give.org CharityWatch: we found no rating. | In the 2023 audited statements give.org used, fundraising was 8% and administration 4% of expenses. give.org |
| PETAPeople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Animal rights group in Norfolk, Virginia, opposing the use of animals for experiments, food, clothing and entertainment; runs investigations and campaigns, and a shelter and mobile clinics in Virginia. | Year ended July 31, 2025 | $79.9 million (2025 Form 990) | 83% (give.org, from its 2024 audited statements). give.org | Charity Navigator: 4 of 4 stars (viewed November 14, 2026). Charity Navigator give.org: "Standards Not Met" (issued August 2025, expires August 2027). It has 3 voting board members where at least 5 are required (Standard 2), its budget lacks program, fundraising and admin projections (Standard 14), and its privacy policy does not describe security measures (Standard 18); give.org could not verify Standards 13 and 15; it meets the other 15 standards. give.org CharityWatch: we found no rating. | PETA runs an open-admission shelter in Virginia that it describes as a "shelter of last resort" for animals other shelters turn away. It publishes its outcomes from its state reports through 2019; later years are in Virginia's public records. PETA Virginia records |
| World Wildlife Fund (WWF-US) Conservation group working in more than 100 countries with its network on species and habitats, forests, oceans, fresh water, food and climate, and on market and policy change. | Year ended June 30, 2025 | $367.0 million (2025 Form 990). $472.9 million in its consolidated audit. | Two figures for the same year. 83% (give.org, from the audit; includes $137.0 million of public education). give.org 73% (CharityWatch, which adjusts audited figures by its own method). CharityWatch's figure moves the joint costs of mailings out of program spending; without that adjustment it is 79%. CharityWatch | give.org: meets all 20 standards (issued August 2026, expires August 2028). give.org CharityWatch: B+, $22 to raise $100 (rated July 2026). CharityWatch Charity Navigator: 4 of 4 stars (viewed November 14, 2026). Charity Navigator | A conservation group, not a pet or shelter group. |
| Petfinder Foundation "The non-profit partner of Petfinder.com"; gives grants to shelters and rescue groups that list their adoptable pets on the site. | Calendar 2025 | $983,000 (2025 Form 990) | Not confirmed. Check its Form 990, Part IX. | give.org: not checked. CharityWatch: not checked. Charity Navigator: not checked. | 2025 revenue $1.49 million; net assets $4.43 million. ProPublica |
One rater's picks: Animal Charity Evaluators, 2026
Animal Charity Evaluators (ACE) named eight "Recommended Charities" on November 10, 2026. Its method, in its words: "We examine their programs, evidence, finances, organizational health, and what they'd do with more funding." In its review of one pick, Greener by Default, ACE says its cost-effectiveness estimates "have limited explanatory power and should be interpreted with caution." All eight work on farmed or wild animals, mostly through campaigns aimed at companies and laws, often outside the U.S. None of them are dog or cat shelters. These are ACE's picks, not ours. ACE announcement
Conditions for egg-laying hens and farmed fish in Türkiye, mainly through cage-free campaigns with companies.
Works with hospitals, universities and other institutions to make plant-based options the default.
Corporate campaigns, meat reduction in institutions, and pig welfare in Latin America and Southeast Asia.
Corporate, investigative and legislative campaigns in Spain and the EU for hens, chickens and farmed fish.
Electrical stunning for farmed shrimp and welfare policies at retailers.
Plant-based eating in Brazil through public policy and institutional food.
Corporate and legislative change for farmed animals worldwide, including the Open Wing Alliance.
Funds and does research on the welfare of wild animals.
Help without money
- Foster. Best Friends describes it as "feeding, caring for, and socializing the pet," for a night or two up to several weeks or until adoption. With Best Friends and some shelters, food, supplies and vet care are provided. Most local shelters run their own foster programs.
- Volunteer at your city or county shelter. Dog walking, cat socializing, laundry, adoption events and pet photos. Find the shelter and call it.
- Help community cats. Alley Cat Allies has a tool to find trap-neuter-return help and low-cost vet care.
- Low-cost spay and neuter. The ASPCA points people to the SpayUSA finder.
- Drive. Rescues move animals from crowded shelters to places with adopters. Ask local rescues if they need drivers. We did not find a national finder for this.
- Give supplies. Call the shelter or check its wish list first. Needs vary.
- Adopt. In 2025 U.S. shelters reported 4.2 million dog and cat adoptions and 5.8 million animals coming in.
- Report cruelty. Call 911 for a crime in progress. Otherwise contact whoever enforces animal laws where it is happening: police, animal control, or an SPCA or humane group.
How the system works
Feeding America is a national office in Chicago. It gets donated and bought food for a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 state food bank groups and over 60,000 pantries and meal programs. It does not run food banks or serve meals. Each local food bank is its own nonprofit with its own Form 990. Feeding America
Most of the money in Feeding America's books is donated food: $4.58 billion of food in 2025, about 88% of its total income. That is why its program share looks very different depending on who is counting. give.org
Why food banks ask for cash: they buy through big suppliers instead of at store prices, cash pays to move donated food, and fresh produce, dairy and protein cannot come through food drives. Feeding America The Central Texas Food Bank says $10 provides 40 meals; meals-per-dollar figures are each food bank's own estimate. Central Texas Food Bank
Meals on Wheels America is a member group for more than 5,000 local programs, which are separate organizations. give.org
Well-known hunger groups
Ratings shown are the ones we could open on November 14, 2026. A blank does not mean a bad rating.
| Organization and what it does | Latest year | Total expenses | Program share (whose figure) | Ratings, with dates | Notes (documented facts) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feeding America National office in Chicago that gets donated and purchased food for a network of more than 200 partner food banks; it does not run food banks or serve meals itself. | Year ended June 30, 2025 | $5.01 billion (2025 Form 990). $5.20 billion in its audit (give.org). | Two figures for the same year. 98% (its audit, as reported by give.org). give.org 81% (CharityWatch). CharityWatch Why they differ: the audit counts $4.58 billion of donated food as both income and program spending; CharityWatch leaves donated goods out. | give.org: meets all 20 standards (issued April 2026, expires April 2028). give.org CharityWatch: A-, $25 to raise $100 (rated April 2026). CharityWatch Charity Navigator: not checked. | Donated food was about 88% of its total income in 2025. give.org Its guidance to partners: it "does not operate food banks or run meal programs," and "$1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local partner food banks." Feeding America |
| Meals on Wheels America National member group in Arlington, Virginia, for more than 5,000 local programs that deliver meals and visits to older adults; it does marketing, advocacy and member services and gives some grants. | Calendar 2025 | $29.5 million (2025 Form 990) | 72% (give.org, from its 2023 audited statements). give.org | give.org: meets all 20 standards (issued March 2025, expires March 2027). give.org CharityWatch: not checked. Charity Navigator: not checked. | Local Meals on Wheels programs are separate organizations with their own filings. |
| Share Our Strength (No Kid Hungry) Runs the No Kid Hungry campaign: grants to local groups for things like school breakfast carts and refrigerators, and advocacy for federal child nutrition programs. | Year ended June 30, 2025 | $83.6 million (2025 Form 990). $133.6 million in its 2023 audit (give.org). The sources we read do not explain the gap. | 65% (give.org, 2023 audited statements). give.org | give.org: "Standards Not Met" (issued October 2024, expires March 2027). It meets 19 of 20 standards; fundraising costs were 37% of related contributions, above its 35% limit (Standard 9). give.org CharityWatch: not checked. Charity Navigator: not checked. | It reports working with 2,112 local nonprofits in 2023. give.org |
| World Central Kitchen Founded by chef José Andrés; sends teams to disasters and conflict zones to cook and deliver meals, often through local restaurants and kitchens. | Calendar 2024 (latest Form 990 we found) | $299.3 million (2024 Form 990) | 91% (CharityWatch, adjusted, 2024). CharityWatch We did not confirm a figure from its own Form 990. | CharityWatch: A+, $4 to raise $100 (rated December 2025). CharityWatch give.org: not checked. Charity Navigator: not checked. | It sends teams to disasters and conflict zones to cook and deliver meals, often working through local restaurants and kitchens. ProPublica |
Help without money
- Food bank shifts. Sorting, packing, mobile pantries and delivery. Find your food bank and look for "Volunteer."
- Drive for Meals on Wheels. Local programs recruit volunteer drivers.
- Running a food drive?. Call the food bank first. "Not all food banks have the capacity for large food donations."
- Gleaning, community fridges, backpack programs. Picking leftover farm produce for food banks, stocking shared fridges and weekend food for school kids are run locally. Ask your food bank or 211.
If you need food yourself
- 211: dial 211, free and private, for food, benefits, housing and bills. 211.org En español
- A food bank or pantry near you: Feeding America finder FoodFinder
- SNAP (food stamps): you apply through your state. Ask your state office for the current rules. State directory
- WIC: for people who are pregnant, recently gave birth or are breastfeeding, babies, and children under 5, with income under the limit. You apply through a local WIC office. WIC eligibility
How the system works
HUD counted 771,480 people without a home on one night in January 2024, the highest it has recorded and 18.1% more than in 2023. 497,256 were in shelters and 274,224 were not. HUD notes that new arrivals in New York City and people sheltered after the Maui fire added to the rise, and that people outside may be undercounted. HUD
Help is mostly local: shelters, churches, nonprofits and city agencies. Each area has a "Continuum of Care" that coordinates services and federal money. National groups do different jobs: some do research and policy, some coach cities, some run sites, and Habitat for Humanity builds homes for buyers.
What the research says about Housing First (offering a permanent home without first requiring sobriety or treatment): a 2020 review of 26 U.S. and Canadian studies found that, compared with usual care, it cut homelessness (a median of 89% in 4 studies) and raised housing stability (54% in 7 studies). Changes in physical and mental health were small, and drug and alcohol results were mixed. Most studies followed people for two years or less. The review
A policy fight in progress. A July 2025 executive order told HUD and HHS to end support for "housing first" policies. Executive order In late 2025 HUD limited how much of about $4 billion in local homeless grants could go to permanent housing. A federal judge in Rhode Island blocked that in December 2025 in a suit by 20 states and two governors, and in July 2026 ruled partly for the states. HUD's position is that "Housing First has failed." Minnesota Attorney General CalMatters
Well-known homelessness groups
Ratings shown are the ones we could open on November 14, 2026. A blank does not mean a bad rating.
| Organization and what it does | Latest year | Total expenses | Program share (whose figure) | Ratings, with dates | Notes (documented facts) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Alliance to End Homelessness Research, policy work and training on preventing and ending homelessness in the U.S.; it does not run shelters or housing. | Calendar 2024 | $9.8 million (2024 Form 990) | Not confirmed. Check its Form 990, Part IX. | give.org: not checked. CharityWatch: not checked. Charity Navigator: not checked. | It calls itself "nonpartisan." Its site |
| Community Solutions (Built for Zero) Runs Built for Zero, through which it says over 100 cities and counties use data to cut homelessness, aiming to make it "rare and brief." | Calendar 2024 | $40.0 million (2024 Form 990) | Not confirmed. Check its Form 990, Part IX. | give.org: not checked. CharityWatch: not checked. Charity Navigator: not checked. | 2024 revenue $25.4 million; net assets $129.5 million. |
| Covenant House Shelter, housing and services for homeless and trafficked young people through a network of affiliated sites. | Year ended June 30, 2025 (parent). CharityWatch rated the year ended June 30, 2024. | $96.3 million (2025 parent Form 990). About $261 million with its 29 affiliates (2024, CharityWatch). | 78% (CharityWatch, adjusted, 2024, all affiliates). CharityWatch left out about $15.7 million of non-cash gifts, including about $10.8 million of donated public service ads. CharityWatch | CharityWatch: A-, $15 to raise $100 (rated December 2025). CharityWatch give.org: "Did Not Disclose" (issued August 2025, expires January 2027); BBB says the charity did not respond or declined to be reviewed. BBB notes that charity participation in its reviews is voluntary. give.org Charity Navigator: not checked. | Each affiliate files its own Form 990. |
| The Salvation Army A Christian church and charity: shelters and food for homeless people, holiday help, child care, job training, camps and disaster relief; it reports 28 million people served in 2024 through more than 7,300 centers. | Year ended September 30, 2024 (national office audit) | $111.8 million (national office only; its four U.S. territories report separately) | 94% (give.org, national office only). give.org | give.org: meets all 20 standards (national corporation; issued June 2026, expires June 2028). give.org CharityWatch: not checked. Charity Navigator: not checked. | As a church it is not required to file a Form 990; ProPublica shows the Southern Territory's last 990 for 2015 and posted audits for 2025. ProPublica |
| Habitat for Humanity International Supports local affiliates that build and repair homes sold to lower-income buyers with affordable mortgages. It is a homeownership group, not a homeless shelter. | Year ended June 30, 2025 | $370.7 million (2025 Form 990). $377.5 million in its audit (give.org). | 75% (give.org, from the audit): U.S. affiliates $184.7 million, international $75.5 million, public awareness $24.3 million. give.org | give.org: meets all 20 standards (issued February 2026, expires February 2028). give.org CharityWatch: not checked. Charity Navigator: not checked. | Local Habitat affiliates are separate nonprofits with their own filings. |
| Pine Street Inn (Boston)An example of a large local provider Says it is "the largest homeless services provider in New England," with shelter in four Boston locations, supportive housing, street outreach every day and night, job training and recovery services. | Year ended June 30, 2025 | $99.7 million (2025 Form 990) | Not confirmed. Check its Form 990, Part IX. | give.org: not checked. CharityWatch: not checked. Charity Navigator: not checked. | It posts a list of the new items it needs and the items it cannot take. Pine Street Inn |
Help without money
- Give what a shelter asks for. Pine Street Inn in Boston, for example, takes only new, unused items: winter hats and gloves, hand warmers, twin or full sheet sets, bath towels, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, packaged snacks, new socks and underwear, and men's T-shirts. It does not take homemade food, used clothing, furniture or children's items. Check your own shelter's list first.
- Volunteer. Meal service, welcome kits, mentoring and job help through local shelters. 211 can tell you who is near you.
- If you rent out a home. Ask your local public housing agency about Housing Choice Vouchers.
- If you hire. Hiring people with a history of homelessness helps them stay housed.
If you need a place to stay
- In danger right now: call 911.
- 211: dial 211, free and private, for shelter, housing, utility and food help near you. 211.org En español
- Your local homeless system: HUD lists the Continuum of Care contacts for each area. HUD Exchange
- Food while you look: Feeding America finder FoodFinder
Money, time or stuff?
Pick what you can give and the cause. You get three next steps with links.
Pick one of each above. Your steps will show here.
Red flags and documented cases
These are actions by regulators and courts (the FTC and state attorneys general), with the date and the outcome. Settlements often say the defendant did not admit the claims; we say so where the source does.
Cancer Fund of America and three related charities (2015 to 2016)
The FTC, all 50 states and DC charged four cancer charities with taking more than $187 million from donors and spending "the overwhelming majority" on their operators, families, friends and fundraisers. Two settled in May 2015 and were dissolved. In March 2016 a settlement dissolved the other two, set a $75.8 million judgment and banned their leader from charity fundraising and running nonprofits. FTC Massachusetts AG
Operation Donate with Honor: fake veterans charities (July 2018)
The FTC and state charity regulators announced more than 100 actions against fake veterans charities and fundraisers. One example: VietNow was shut down in 2017 by New Hampshire and 23 other states over deceptive telemarketing, and its assets went to veterans charities. New Hampshire DOJ FTC case list
Associated Community Services telefunding (March 2021)
The FTC, 38 states and DC charged a Michigan fundraising group over about 1.3 billion deceptive calls, mostly robocalls, that raised more than $110 million for causes like homeless veterans and breast cancer patients. The fundraisers kept as much as 90%. The settlements banned them from fundraising and set $110 million judgments, suspended in whole or in part based on ability to pay (the settlements were then pending court approval). FTC
Cancer Recovery Foundation International, also called Women's Cancer Fund (2024)
The FTC and 10 states said it collected more than $18 million from 2017 to 2022 and spent $194,809 helping cancer patients, about a penny per dollar, with about 85% going to for-profit fundraisers. A court order in December 2024 banned it from fundraising and set an $18.25 million judgment, suspended. It "neither admits nor denies" the claims. FTC complaint Court order
Names that sound like the government: Minnesota (2025)
The Minnesota attorney general sued five nonprofits with names like "Minnesota Police Reserve Officers Association" that suggested a link to government. Under a March 2025 consent judgment all five were dissolved and their leader was barred from running nonprofits. Minnesota AG
give.org keeps a running list of government actions against charities. give.org list
Paid fundraisers keep a share
New York's attorney general found that in 2024, paid fundraisers raised nearly $1.6 billion in 588 campaigns and kept 25% (more than $395 million), up from 17% in 2023. In about half the campaigns, the charity got less than half of what was raised. In 104 campaigns the costs were higher than what was raised, costing charities more than $20 million. New York AG You can look up campaigns in its database. Database In New York, a telemarketer must tell you their name, who employs them and whether they are paid, and you can ask what share goes to fees.
Warning signs
- Pressure to give right now, especially on the phone. Caller ID that looks local or official can be faked. FTC
- A request to pay by cryptocurrency, wire transfer, payment app or gift card. FTC
- A website with no clear detail on programs or how money is used. FTC
- A name that sounds like a well-known charity, or a "thank you for your pledge" note for a pledge you do not remember. New York AG
- An online fundraiser run by someone you do not know, or not approved by the charity it names. New York AG
Where to report
- The FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov
- Your state attorney general or charity regulator: NASCO list of state regulators
- In New York: [email protected] or (212) 416-8401. New York AG
Sources
Figures as of November 14, 2026. Check the linked filing for the latest. We opened these sources on or before that date.
What we could not confirm
- Program shares come from audits and from evaluators (give.org, CharityWatch), because we could not open the expense pages (Part IX) of the Form 990s. Where neither had a figure, the table says "Not confirmed."
- Charity Navigator: we could read star ratings, but scores and data years were mostly not shown. We did not check its ratings for most hunger and homelessness groups.
- CharityWatch: we found no rating for the ASPCA, Humane World for Animals, Best Friends or PETA.
- Animal Charity Evaluators' own site did not open for us; its 2026 list comes from its published announcement.
- Virginia's animal custody records search, which has PETA's shelter numbers after 2019, could not be searched from our tools.
- Best Friends: its 2025 Form 990 shows $175.7 million in expenses and the 2023 audit give.org used shows $338.5 million. The sources we read do not explain the gap.
- Share Our Strength: its 2025 Form 990 shows $83.6 million and its 2023 audit shows $133.6 million. The sources we read do not explain the gap.
Who made this, and how to correct it
We take no money from, and have no relationship with, any organization on this page. No one paid for this page, and we do not recommend any charity. Ratings and picks shown are the rater's, with its date.
Made by Known Quantity LLC, a small Rhode Island company, as free public-interest work.
If we got something wrong or a figure has changed, email [email protected] with the source and we will fix it. An organization named here can write to us the same way.
Free to reuse, copy, print and share. Last updated November 14, 2026. More free tools: Known Quantity for Good.
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