An independent guide to generosity
Make your giving count. Make your time matter.
Straight answers on choosing a charity, checking it out, volunteering close to home, raising money and starting a nonprofit. No donations collected here, and nobody pays to be mentioned.
- Sources linked on every page
- Updated for 2026 tax rules
- Free tools, no sign-up
Where do you want to start?
Six ways to do more good
Choose a Charity
How to pick a charity that fits your values: local vs national, what ratings mean, and why overhead isn't the whole story.
Start here
Check a Charity
Verify a charity with the IRS, read its Form 990, check state registration, and spot the warning signs of a scam.
Start here
Volunteer
Find volunteer opportunities near you, use your professional skills, and serve together as a family.
Start here
Fundraise
Start a fundraiser the right way, choose a platform, and find community fundraising ideas that work.
Start here
Start a Nonprofit
The steps to form a nonprofit and apply for 501(c)(3) status, and the alternatives worth considering first.
Start here
Give Smart
2026 charitable deduction rules, donation receipts, workplace giving, donor-advised funds and giving to veterans' causes.
Start hereBefore you give
The 10-minute charity check
Most donation problems are avoided with three quick lookups.
- 1
Is it a real charity?
Search the name in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search to confirm it can receive tax-deductible gifts.
- 2
Where does the money go?
Open its latest Form 990 and look at program spending, revenue trends and leadership pay.
- 3
Is it registered and trusted?
Check your state's charity regulator and an independent evaluator such as BBB Wise Giving Alliance.
Most read
Guides people come back to
How to Check a Charity in 10 Minutes
Three lookups that catch most problems: the IRS, the Form 990 and your state.
Read Give SmartCharitable Tax Deductions in 2026: What Changed and What It Means for You
The new $1,000 / $2,000 deduction for non-itemizers, the 0.5% floor for itemizers, and what to do now.
Read VolunteerHow to Find Volunteer Opportunities Near You
Where to look, what to ask, and how to find a role you'll stick with.
Read Choose a CharityHow to Choose a Charity You'll Feel Good About
Start with what you care about, then narrow it down with five simple questions.
Read Check a CharityHow to Spot a Charity Scam (and What to Do If You've Been Targeted)
Sound-alike names, disaster appeals, gift-card requests and other warning signs.
Read Start a NonprofitHow to Start a Nonprofit: The Steps, Forms and Fees
From mission to 501(c)(3): incorporation, EIN, Form 1023 or 1023-EZ, and staying compliant.
ReadFree tools
Plan it, check it, track it
Four simple tools that run in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to us.
Printables
Worksheets for the kitchen table
The Charity Research Worksheet, an Annual Giving Plan and a Volunteer Hours Log. Free to print for families, classrooms, churches and civic groups.
See the printables“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
A saying often credited to Winston Churchill, though its source is uncertain.