Wise Giving Wednesday: Tips for Evaluating New Charities

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calendar icon Jun 11, 2025

With over 130,000 new charities approved just last year, there’s a good chance you’ll come across a new organization asking for support. Researching newer charities can be tricky, so we’ve put together some tips to help you give wisely.

Every Year Brings Thousands of New Charities Seeking Donor Support 

The United States has a deep history of philanthropy and to this day has more charities than any other country. Specifically, the IRS Data Book for the year ended September 30, 2024 reports that the U.S. has more than 1.5 million tax exempt organizations under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3), typically called charities. In the same year, the IRS approved 136,323 new applications for tax-exempt status.
 
New charities are often small and some will find success and others will struggle. But regardless of size, it’s likely that you will come across one of them at some point, whether through word of mouth, when paying at the cash register, or perhaps via social media. Wherever you encounter a new charity you’re interested in supporting, we encourage you to do a little digging so you can make an informed giving decision.

Smart Giving: How to Vet Charities Under 18 Months Old

Researching new charities can be tricky. Many won’t have an annual report, an IRS Form 990, or financial statements yet. But if you believe the cause is worth your time and donation, here are some tips to give to charities under 18 months.
 
  • Review charity websites: Most charities, even new ones, will have a website with basic information about the organization such as goals and activities. Look for specifics.
  • See if the charity is registered in your state: Close to 40 U.S. states require charities to register with state government officials before soliciting for donations, usually done through the office of the Secretary of State or Attorney General. For specifics, visit the National Association of State Charity Officials.
  • Look for a board roster: Even new charities will have a board of directors, which has final say concerning operations and staff oversight. Look at charity websites to see if the board members and their professional qualifications are listed. It’s best to give to groups led by those who have the qualifications to address the charity’s mission.
  • Be wary of emergency appeals: If you receive fundraising appeals from charities raising funds for disasters or emergency needs, the organization should be able to substantiate that the timing and nature of its expenditures are in accordance with what is specified in their appeals. You want to make sure the charity is doing what they say they will do, when they say they will do it. Also note that that new charities may have a hard time addressing emergency situations in some cases. If possible, find out what connections, resources, or skills the charity has to address the situation.
  • Locate the privacy policy: Make sure charities provide a clear and accessible privacy policy on their website. We recommend that the privacy policy include the following elements:
    • How to contact the charity to review personal information, if any, is being collected about them by the charity and how this information will be used
    • How to contact the charity to review personal information collected and request corrections
    • How to inform the charity (e.g., a check-off box) that the visitor does not wish to have their information shared outside the organization
    • What security measures the charity has in place to protect personal information
  • Check Trusted Sources: As always, we recommend visiting our A-Z National Charity Reports. While we don’t generally report on charities that are less than 1 year old, once a charity has been established and has completed its first IRS Form 990 and financial statement, they are eligible to be evaluated.

Recent Reports

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.