4 Vital Questions to Find a Good Charity

With so many people in need today both here in the United States and in developing countries across the globe, it may seem overwhelming for your family to choose which organization you feel best about supporting.

To help you narrow down the choices, according to the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA), there are several models organization use and several questions you will want to ask of any organization you decide to support.

Christian Foundation for Children and Aging is an international sponsorship organization serving people of all faiths in 22 developing countries. CFCA’s Hope for a Family sponsorship program connects individual sponsors with a child, youth or elderly person in need to provide them with the basic resources and support needed to create a path out of poverty. More than 94 percent of CFCA’s expenses go toward program support.

Typically, a sponsorship program involves a monthly donation for a family to help with food, shelter and medical aid but it can also contribute to a community project like a well, school or health facility or to support local aid organization in country such as churches, shelters and food banks.

“Sponsorship benefits are designed to meet critical needs and help families build a path out of poverty,” said Bob Hentzen, president and co-founder of CFCA . “Sponsorship says, ‘We are equal and we need each other. We are interdependent.'”

The 4 vital questions you will want to ask:

What do the organization’s finances look like?

A recent study suggested 65% of donors ask no questions about an organization’s financial structure and health.  If you ask for an IRS form 990, you can find out about operational activities such as how much of your contributions actually goes to the programs you want to support versus administrative costs (i.e., salaries for the staff).

What do others say about the organization?

Check out third party comments and ratings.  A good source for this is the American Institute of Philanthropy and Charity Navigator which rates charities on their financial and accountability standards.  Comments also show you how sponsors felt about their experiences with the organizations.

What’s their impact?

Check the website and for news articles that prove what the organization has done. Look for testimonials that provide feedback of their works.

Does the organization’s mission align with yours?

Look at how an organization carries out its mission versus just going by its name. Basically, do they walk the walk? Does that go along with what you are trying to help?

Visit www.hopeforafamily.org, or call (800) 875-6564 for more information. Hentzen, who is 74, is currently walking 8,000 miles in South America to raise awareness for children in need. Follow his walk here – he has walked over 6,000 miles. He started his journey in December of 2009 and sleeps in his old Toyota camper at night.