Giving Freely --And Wisely

Some of the rating services adjust for these problems. Uncharitably, they often slam each other's methods while touting their own. I'm a civilian in these wars, so my advice is to look for good grades from every source. Start your research here:

1. The Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance (Give.org). It currently posts reports on more than 900 nonprofits, testing them by a number of stand-ards including good governance. About 65 percent of them pass. The rest fail, or refuse to be evaluated (a bad sign, no matter what excuse the charity gives).

2. American Institute of Philanthropy (CharityWatch.org). It's the toughest of the bunch, rating more than 500 charities on a scale of A+ down to F. Because it disregards certain, potentially suspect, expenses and donations, it fails some nonprofits that the other raters approve. Readers of this column can get its latest Charity Rating Guide free from AIP, P.O. Box 578460, Chicago, IL 60657.

3. CharityNavigator.org rates 5,100 nonprofits on a scale of zero to four stars. This site draws only from a nonprofit's latest 990 form, which could mislead. But I like its Top Ten lists, such as 10 Charities Overpaying Their For-Profit Fund-Raisers.

4. MinistryWatch.com rates more than 500 evangelical groups on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. It's an ardent advocate for financial disclosure. The site names preachers who may be misusing money and suggests that you "prayerfully" consider other ministries instead. Withholding that advice, says MinistryWatch.com, would be "tantamount to condoning sin." Hear, hear.

5. The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (Ecfa.org) accredits Evangelical churches and charities based on such standards as audited financial reports and ECFA's own field reviews. If your group hasn't joined (or is on the lists of those that left) you should ask why. There's no comparable service for Jewish, Muslim or Catholic organizations.