As the new year unfolds, it’s a natural moment for donors and the mission-driven charitable sector to reconnect with what truly matters: advancing meaningful causes with clarity, compassion, and commitment.
Now that we’ve popped the champagne cork to start 2026 and, with any luck, packed away the holiday décor, it’s a great time to turn the page and refocus on the value of mission-driven work. While our smartphones and social media are constantly abuzz with the latest political upheaval or culture war meme, nonprofits and their staff are quietly going about their work to help, provide for, advocate for, and serve.
People who choose charity work are often driven by mission. Some charity professionals do the headline-grabbing, “boots on the ground” work after a natural disaster. But, for every one of those, there are many more nonprofit professionals working behind the scenes: managing and developing programs, ensuring strong financial and governance practices, maintaining websites, and safeguarding data.
Beyond charity professionals, many of whom forgo more lucrative private-sector careers, countless volunteers work every day to support a cause. Volunteers come from all walks of life and charities do their best to match individual skills with organizational needs.
The start of the new year offers an opportunity to reenergize around mission and purpose. Together – volunteers, charity professionals, and volunteers, pursue a wide variety of missions, including:
Charities work across these areas and many others. In 2026, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance’s charge to donors is to help verify the trustworthiness of publicly soliciting charities and to highlight organizations you can support with confidence.
We invite you to look beyond the fundraising appeal in your inbox and gain deeper understanding of what it takes to make mission-driven work possible. Visit our Alphabetical List of Charities to learn more about hundreds of mission-based organizations. These organizations need your support. Their work matters and transforms lives every day.
We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org or local BBBs to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include:
Finally, remember to let us know by going to give.org/charity-inquiry if you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.
