If you're like me, you want to see the most good possible being done with the money you donate to charity. But how do you make sure the organization is worthwhile and is using your money to get the most out of it? Here's a thought from Money magazine on some financial numbers that can guide you in the right direction when selecting a charity:
To be confident that the charity will spend your gift wisely, check the financials. At a minimum, 65 percent of expenses should go toward programs, not fund raising and overhead. If you can't get that figure from the charity, download its Form 990 tax return at guidestar.org or turn to an outside expert.
Personally, I recommend Charity Navigator if you want to check details on a charity. I find it easy to use, simple to search, and full of the right type of data in an easily readable format.
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