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4. Industry standards for accountability & transparency

The following organizations are well known for evaluating and rating charities.

BBB Wise Giving Alliance

The BBB Wise Giving Alliance, affiliated with the Council of Better Business Bureaus, has established a set of 20 non-binding "Standards of Charitable Accountability" to help donors make sound giving decisions and increase public trust in charities. These standards fall under the categories of Governance and Oversight, Measuring Effectiveness, Finances, and Fund Raising and Information Materials.

Charity Navigator

Charity Navigator. According to their website, Charity Navigator works to guide intelligent giving and help people give to charities with confidence. They rate charities by evaluating Financial Health and Accountability & Transparency.

CharityWatch

CharityWatch, formerly known as the American Institute of Philanthropy, is another well-known charity watchdog group dedicated to helping donors give thoughtfully.

GuideStar by Candid

GuideStar. A source of extensive nonprofit data, well known for providing images of all Forms 990 filed by charities. On February 5, 2019, GuideStar and Foundation Center announced they will join forces to become Candid, a 501(c)(3) organization, but their respective product offerings remain available through their individual websites.