Spotlight: Charity Navigator

There are millions of charities in the world. There are charities for every conceivable purpose. So obviously, it isn't easy to sort through them to find the one that you feel the best about. That's where Charity Navigator comes in. I personally use Charity Navigator every time I hear about a charity or think about giving money to one.

The purpose of Charity Navigator is to show you what happens to the money you donate to specific organizations. Every charity listed has its own profile which includes information such as a breakdown of expenses, capacity, ratings, income statements, a history, leadership and their salaries, and a list of similar charities.

Some great features of the site include categories, Tips & Resources, and the "My Charities" list (a service that you have to setup a free membership for). There is also a complete directory of charities reviewed by the site. There are also lists such as "Top Ten Charities Everyone's Heard Of" that'll give you a few ideas if you're not sure where to start.