Charity Navigator
Claim this toolEmpowering informed philanthropic decisions through unbiased charity ratings and donor resources.
Free, no paid tier Visit WebsiteThe Bottom Line
- Price
- Free, no paid tier. Compare plans
Key facts
- Provides unbiased ratings for over 225,000 charities to guide donor decisions.
- Offers tools and resources for informed giving, including current event response funds.
- Features a 'Giving Basket' for multi-charity donations with privacy controls.
Pros
- Free access to extensive charity data and ratings
- Unbiased ratings, as charities are not charged for evaluation
- Simplifies multi-charity giving through the Giving Basket
- Provides detailed insights into a charity's financial health and impact
- Offers curated lists for timely and impactful giving
Cons
- Only evaluates IRS-registered 501(c)(3) organizations
- CEO salary is displayed but not directly factored into the overall rating metric
- Relies on charities to provide data for evaluation, which may not always be complete for unrated organizations
What is Charity Navigator?
Available on: Web
Ratings Across the Web
Charity Navigator holds an aggregate rating of 3.5 out of 5 from 5 reviews across Trustpilot, last checked September 2, 2026.
Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more
Preview
Key Features
- Searchable database of 245,000+ rated charities
- AI-powered tool for personalized charity recommendations
- Cause-specific funds (e.g., Animal Welfare, End Hunger, End Homelessness)
- Comprehensive charity ratings based on financial health and accountability
- Giving Basket for multi-charity donations with single checkout
- Donor resources including giving guides and current event response lists
- Transparency on CEO compensation and expense allocation
- Listing of fake and fraudulent charities with alerts
Pricing
Charity Navigator is completely free to use with no hidden costs.
Charity Navigator by the numbers
| Metric | Charity Navigator | Peer median | Position (1 is best) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | 33% have one | n/a |
| Listed as an alternative to | 3 tools | 5 | #40 of 63 (joint) |
Each position is counted among the tools that have data for that row, as noted under it. All Fundraising data · How we compute this. Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position.
Cite this: Toolradar, “Charity Navigator by the numbers”, Oct 2026.
Reviews
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Charity Navigator FAQ
How does Charity Navigator help individuals make philanthropic decisions?
Which teams or individuals benefit most from Charity Navigator?
How is Charity Navigator's pricing structured?
What kind of organizations does Charity Navigator evaluate?
How does Charity Navigator compare to a tool like Network for Good?
Can users donate to multiple charities at once through the platform?
What are the main limitations of Charity Navigator's evaluation process?
Source: charitynavigator.org