The short answer
To check if a charity is legitimate, get its exact legal name and EIN, then confirm both in IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Check that it is registered with your state charity regulator, read its latest Form 990 on ProPublica or Candid, and walk away from anyone who pressures you or asks for gift cards, wire transfers, or crypto.
- Match the EIN, not the name. Lookalike names are the most common trick.
- About 40 states require charities to register before asking for money. In California, “Registered” is good, while “Delinquent” or “Suspended” means it can’t legally solicit.
- A missing Charity Navigator rating is not a red flag. Ratings require three years of full Form 990 filings.
- Credit card or check is the safest way to give, according to the FTC. Gift cards, wire transfers, and crypto are red flags.
- Real charities can take weeks to show up in IRS data. A determination letter is valid proof in the meantime.
On this page (10 sections)
The 10-minute legitimacy checklist
Work through these in order. The first three items take about five minutes and catch nearly all fake charities. The rest tell you how well a real charity is run.
Tool · 8-point legitimacy check
Check any charity in about 10 minutes
Answer as you go. Items marked critical are deal-breakers. The rest are signals to weigh.
1.Does the charity publish its exact legal name and EIN?critical
Look on the donate page, footer, or receipt. The 9-digit Employer Identification Number (EIN) is how every database below identifies the organization. Lookalike names are common, so match the EIN, not the name.
2.Does the IRS list it as eligible to receive tax-deductible gifts?critical
Search the EIN in IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search (Pub 78 data) and confirm it is not on the auto-revocation list.
IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search ↗3.Is it registered (and current) with its state charity regulator?critical
Most states require charities that solicit donations to register first. About 40 states have this requirement. In California, search the Attorney General’s Registry of Charities and Fundraisers. "Registered" is good. "Delinquent," "Suspended," or "Revoked" means the charity may not legally solicit there.
California AG registry search ↗4.Can you read its recent IRS filings (Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-N)?
Larger charities file a full Form 990 showing revenue, expenses, top salaries, and board members. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer and Candid show them free. Charities that normally take in $50,000 or less file only a short e-Postcard (990-N), which shows up in IRS search.
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer ↗5.Does it say specifically what it did with last year’s money?
Look for concrete outputs (acres planted, animals treated, students taught) and ideally outcomes, with dates. "We raise awareness" with no numbers is a weak signal. A good charity can also tell you what did not work.
6.Can you see who runs it and who oversees it?
Named staff, a board of directors (ideally mostly independent of staff), and a physical mailing address or service area. Anonymous operations are a risk.
7.Is the ask free of pressure tactics and unusual payment methods?critical
The FTC warns about high-pressure "give now" demands, thank-yous for pledges you never made, guaranteed sweepstakes winnings, and requests to pay by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or cash. Legitimate charities accept checks and credit cards and will wait for you to research them.
FTC: Donating wisely ↗8.Has an independent evaluator reviewed it?
Charity Navigator, Candid (GuideStar) transparency seals, and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance (Give.org) review many larger charities. A good rating is a plus. A missing rating is not a red flag, because most small charities are never rated.
Charity Navigator ↗
0 of 8 answered. A verdict appears after 4 answers.
1. Find the exact legal name and EIN
Every U.S. tax-exempt organization has a nine-digit Employer Identification Number (EIN), written like 12-3456789. Legitimate charities publish it on their donation page, in their footer, or on their receipts. If you can’t find it, ask. A charity that won’t share its EIN has told you what you need to know.
Why the EIN matters more than the name: scammers deliberately choose names that sound like trusted charities, and the FTC lists “names that sound like well-known charities” as a warning sign. Even legitimate charities can be confused with each other. Our own name is a live example. The Bee Conservatory (Sacramento, EIN 93-1556974) is often mistaken for The Bee Conservancy, a separate New York organization that is a fiscally sponsored project of Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (EIN 95-4116679). Both are real. Only the EIN tells you which one you are giving to.
2. Confirm IRS status with Tax Exempt Organization Search
- Go to IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search (TEOS).
- Search by EIN (most reliable) or by the exact legal name. TEOS only lists the legal name registered with the IRS, not a “doing business as” name.
- Look for a listing under Publication 78 data. That means the organization is eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
- Check that it is not on the auto-revocation list. Organizations that skip their annual filing for three straight years lose their exemption automatically.
- While you are there, open the available Form 990 copies, 990-N e-Postcards, and determination letters.
3. Check state charity registration
Close to 40 states require charities to register before soliciting donations from their residents (BBB Wise Giving Alliance). Registration is separate from IRS status. A charity can be tax-exempt and still be barred from asking for money in your state.
- California: search the Attorney General’s Registry of Charities and Fundraisers. In August 2026 the registry renamed its statuses. “Registered” (and a reporting status of “Current”) is good standing. “Delinquent,” “Expired,” “Suspended,” “Revoked,” or “Cease and Desist” means the charity may not operate or solicit in California.
- Other states: the FTC points donors to their state charity regulator, which is usually the attorney general or secretary of state. The National Association of State Charity Officials (NASCO) keeps a directory.
- Charities in California must register within 30 days of first receiving charitable assets, so even a new one should show up.
4. Read the Form 990 (in about four minutes)
The Form 990 is a charity’s annual public tax return. Which version it files depends on size:
| Return | Who files it | What you can learn |
|---|---|---|
| 990-N (e-Postcard) | Gross receipts normally $50,000 or less | Only that the charity exists and is filing. No financial detail. |
| 990-EZ | Gross receipts under $200,000 and total assets under $500,000 | Revenue, expenses, assets, and officers |
| Full Form 990 | Gross receipts of $200,000 or more, or assets of $500,000 or more | Everything: program accomplishments, salaries, governance, and related-party transactions |
Find it free on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer or Candid. On a full 990, skim these sections:
- Part I (summary): revenue and expenses over two years. Is it growing, stable, or shrinking fast?
- Part III (program accomplishments): what it says it achieved, ideally with numbers.
- Part VI (governance): number of voting board members and how many are independent. The BBB standard asks for at least five voting members.
- Part VII (compensation): top salaries. Compare them with organizations of similar size, not with your own paycheck.
- Part IX (functional expenses): program vs. management vs. fundraising. Use this to spot outliers, not to rank charities (see the overhead myth).
- Schedule L: transactions with insiders. An entry here isn’t automatically bad, but read it.
5. Know the scam red flags
The FTC’s charity guidance lists the tactics that show up again and again in sham-charity cases:
- Pressure to give right now, before you can research.
- A thank-you for a pledge you never made.
- Vague claims about what the money does, with no specifics.
- Promises of sweepstakes winnings or prizes in exchange for a donation.
- Requests to pay by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, payment app, or cash. The FTC calls credit card or check “the safest way to donate.”
- Caller ID or email that looks official but leads somewhere else.
- A name that closely mimics a well-known charity.
These cases are not rare or small. In September 2025 the FTC and 19 states acted against a fundraising operation that raised more than $45.5 million for a breast cancer charity. Just $126,815, or 0.28%, went to the screenings donors thought they were funding. In March 2024 regulators sued a cancer charity that raised over $18 million and passed about one cent per dollar to patients.
Crowdfunding and social media appeals
- Gifts to an individual’s crowdfunding campaign are generally not tax-deductible, even when the cause is real.
- Check whether the organizer is connected to the person or charity they name. Platforms like GoFundMe show the organizer and beneficiary.
- After a disaster, give to established organizations already working in the area rather than to brand-new campaigns that appeared overnight.
- Be wary of social media “donate” links in direct messages. Go to the charity’s website directly instead.
6. Use ratings, but understand their limits
| Evaluator | What it is | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Charity Navigator | Star ratings across four “beacons”: accountability and finance, impact, leadership, and culture | Needs three years of full Form 990 filings, so smaller charities filing a 990-EZ or 990-N cannot get an overall score. |
| Candid (GuideStar) | Free Bronze to Platinum “Seals of Transparency,” based on information the charity publishes | Self-reported. Candid says plainly that a seal “is not a rating.” |
| BBB Wise Giving Alliance | Checks charities against 20 standards for governance, finances, effectiveness, and fundraising | Reviews a limited number of mostly national charities. |
| CharityWatch | Letter grades based on its own analysis of finances | Covers mostly large national charities. |
How to vet a charity too new to be rated
Most charities in the U.S. are small, and every charity starts out unrated. The BBB Wise Giving Alliance notes that a charity under 18 months old is unlikely to have a Form 990 or audited financials yet. That doesn’t mean you should skip new organizations. Just ask for different evidence:
| Ask for | Why it matters | How to verify |
|---|---|---|
| IRS determination letter | Proves 501(c)(3) status even before IRS search data updates | Name and EIN match the charity’s website and receipt |
| State registration | Shows it is allowed to solicit you | Your state charity regulator’s search tool |
| Board of directors list | Shows someone besides the founder oversees the money | Names, roles, and outside affiliations |
| Current-year budget | Shows planning, not just fundraising | Ask for it directly. Charity Navigator now scores whether a board-approved budget exists. |
| Evidence of work | Shows the program is real | Dated photos, partner organizations you can contact, or a site visit |
| Candid profile | A free seal shows a willingness to be transparent | Search the name or EIN on Candid |
What to do if you gave to a fake charity
- If you paid by credit card, call the card issuer and dispute the charge right away.
- Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- Report it to your state attorney general’s charity division. In California, that is the Registry of Charities and Fundraisers.
- If it came through a platform (crowdfunding, social media), report it there too.
- Watch for “recovery” offers. Scammers often target recent victims again, promising to get their money back for a fee.
Check us too
Frequently asked questions
How do I verify a 501(c)(3)?
Search the organization’s EIN in IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search and look for a Publication 78 listing, which confirms it can receive tax-deductible gifts. Also confirm it is not on the auto-revocation list. For newly approved charities that do not appear yet, ask for the IRS determination letter and check that the name and EIN match.
What is the best website to check if a charity is legitimate?
Start with official sources: IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search for federal status and your state charity regulator’s registry for permission to solicit. Then use ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer or Candid to read Form 990 filings, and Charity Navigator or the BBB Wise Giving Alliance for ratings of larger charities.
How can I check if a charity is registered in my state?
Search your state charity regulator’s database, which is usually run by the attorney general or secretary of state. In California, use the Attorney General’s Registry of Charities and Fundraisers. A status of “Registered” means good standing. “Delinquent,” “Suspended,” or “Revoked” means the charity may not solicit donations in California.
Is GuideStar free to use?
Yes. Basic profiles on Candid (formerly GuideStar), including mission, EIN, and recent Form 990 filings, are free to view. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer is another free source of the same IRS filings.
Is a charity without a Charity Navigator rating a scam?
No. Charity Navigator needs three years of full Form 990 filings to give a star rating, so most small and new charities are never rated. Verify those organizations with IRS search or a determination letter, state registration, and a board list instead.
How do I spot a fake fundraiser?
Watch for pressure to give immediately, thank-yous for pledges you never made, vague descriptions of how the money is used, and requests for payment by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or cash. Look the charity up yourself instead of using links or phone numbers from the solicitation, and give by credit card or check.
Sources and methodology
Facts in this guide come from primary sources (the IRS, FTC, state regulators, federal agencies, and peer-reviewed research) wherever possible. Figures were checked on October 16, 2026. Spot an error? Email [email protected]. We correct the page and note the change.
- Tax Exempt Organization Search · Internal Revenue Service
- Tax-exempt organization search bulk data downloads · Internal Revenue Service
- Form 990 series: which forms do exempt organizations file? · Internal Revenue Service
- Public disclosure and availability of exempt organization returns · Internal Revenue Service
- Automatic revocation of exemption · Internal Revenue Service
- Deductibility of contributions while an application is pending · Internal Revenue Service
- Registry status definitions · California Attorney General
- Initial registration · California Attorney General
- Before giving to a charity · Federal Trade Commission
- FTC, 19 states act to stop deceptive cancer charity fundraising scheme (Sept. 2025) · Federal Trade Commission
- FTC, 10 states take action against operator of sham cancer charity (March 2024) · Federal Trade Commission
- Tips for evaluating new charities · BBB Wise Giving Alliance
- Ratings methodology · Charity Navigator
- 2026 Seals of Transparency · Candid
- The Bee Conservancy (fiscal sponsor disclosure) · The Bee Conservancy