Charity Vetting Process

All the money you donate to charities goes directly to the charities' programs. Own It Economics doesn't receive anything in exchange for providing these links. I've simply found these to be exemplary groups and am passing along the information to you so we can help the world heal and feel great while we do it.

Here are the vetting techniques I've used over the years:

I check to see if they were researched on Charity Navigator and Guide Star and see how they’re ranked.
An internet search was done for bad press with key words like: “[Charity Name] sucks” or “[Charity Name] is a scam.”
Researchers' skeptical friends were asked if they knew of any dirt on the organizations and then that dirt is researched.
If they passed all that, I call to see how they treated me when I asked pointed questions about their programs (like "how do you determine the tonnes of carbon offset for your plant-a-tree program?).

If you want your biggest bang for buck to support organizations, become a member or a donor, which costs about $20-35, because those numbers get them clout with legislators.

If you'd like to see other charities on this website, please contact me with your suggestion.

Below is a list of charities we feature on this site.

Charity Rating Organizations

Charity Navigator ranks charities according to a criteria of dollars to cause ratio, non-sharing of info, and more. If you register with them, they'll keep track of all your favorite charities and provide a portal to donate in one convenient place. They do not vet the people who run the charities. Your donation to them is U.S. Tax Deductible. About the tool that makes if very easy to donate to various groups by placing your donations in a checkout basket—the downside is that service skims a fee away from your donation amount. It's not much, but still, you may want to donate directly. Though even then, credit cards will charge the group.

These guys find charities that they find make the most difference and have ROI on dollars spent to lives saved and disease eradicated. Their #1 is Against Malaria.

GuideStar gathers, organizes, and distributes information about U.S nonprofits.

Who Didn't Make the Own It Economics Cut

INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMUNITY Yes, these guys get 4 out of 4 on CN, but their president, Miliband, receives ~$900K as a salary and has received over a $240K in raises in two years. Madeleine Albright, who is involved with the organization, played a part in keeping wars going that caused what this organization is now trying to fix. On one hand, we know of someone who donates to them because of their impressive stats and he thinks if people are making up for past mistakes, then it's okay. Another person we know worked with volunteers and says they're extremely well organized. On the other, some feel donating to them gives a green light to people who never publicly acknowledged and apologized for their actions that connect them to the atrocities. It's also argued that if they care so much about the poor, why are they making so much off of them? Miliband, the president, is not the only one receiving a generous salary. If you don't want to support IRC, a great alternative is Amnesty International. Beth donated $250 to IRC before learning of their past and asked for her money back and explained why (president's income). To the org's credit, they willingly refunded her money.

https://www.forbes.com/companies/international-rescue-committee/#1350bf26b5ad

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7516155/Million-dollar-Miliband-Former-Labour-Ministers-pay-soars-911-000-refugee-charity.html

See controversies on Madeleine Albright at this link. She's an "overseer" of IRC. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_Albright#Controversies