Using Charity Ratings to Determine Legitimate Charities

Researching charity ratings is a good way to identify legitimate charities. Operation Smile is a member of Independent Charities of America (ICA). In order to gain membership with the ICA a charity must be incorporated in the United States, must provide programs and services to people in at least 15 states or one or more foreign countries, must be an IRS-certified 501(c)(3) organization, and operate with high efficiency and less than 25% overhead. (This is verified by an annual independent financial audit conducted by a CPA.)

You can also do general research online to determine legitimate charities. On the “A to Z List” of the Charity Watch website you’ll find a report of charities that have openly supplied the organization with financial statements. 

Give.org is another resource for charity ratings where philanthropists can go to research legitimate charities. It ranks charities based on 20 different criteria and also provides graphs showing how non-profit organizations spend their money. 

Another way to identify legitimate charities is to view a non-profit organization’s 990 tax forms. The Center for Charitable Statistics and Guide Star give you to access to view any non profit’s 990 tax forms for your peace of mind. 

Charity ratings, general internet research, and tax information are great ways to determine legitimate charities. Like many wonderful charities, the goal of Operation Smile is to make a positive impact on the global community and enrich the lives of children and families in need.

Link to Operation Smile!