Philanthropic giving is an important aspect of many people's financial outlook-- and plans for a large gift or bequest inevitably impact their financial planning. The timing and nature of the gift can impact their tax implications, worth to the beneficiary, and legal constraints on the estate; these factors can outweigh even the choice of the philanthropy itself. In addition, the donor may seek advice on how to ensure the survival of their trust or foundation, how to enforce the terms under which the money is given, and related concerns.
Free service with information on the programs and finances of more than 650,000 American charities and nonprofit organizations. http://www.guidestar.org/
Guide to help donors make intelligent charitable giving decisions. Offers financial ratings of thousands of American nonprofit organizations and charities. http://www.charitynavigator.org
National repository of data on the nonprofit sector in the United States. Its mission is to develop and disseminate high quality data on nonprofit organizations and their activities. http://nccsdataweb.urban.org/
There is little regulation as to how much money must be used for a charity's stated cause, and con men and aggressive businessmen are taking advantage of this. http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=131956
Reports on nationally soliciting charitable organizations (USA) that are the subject of donor inquiries. These reports include an evaluation of the subject charity in relation to the voluntary BBB charity standards. http://www.give.org/
