This page is an archived copy of our top charities page. It was published in 2009. See our current recommendations
Our criteria:
- Is there evidence that a charity's programs are effective? (Why do we look for proven programs?)
- Are a charity's programs cost-effective? (How do we use "cost-effectiveness" figures?)
- Can the charity productively use additional funds? (Why is scalability important?)
- Is the above information shared transparently?
Top-rated charities
Out of approximately 400 that we have considered, these are our top-rated charities: (What do our ratings mean?)
| Charity name | Region | Focus | Evidence of effectiveness | Cost-effectiveness | Funding gap | Transparency | Monitoring and evaluation | GiveWell rating | Overall rank | Donate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VillageReach | International | Immunizations | Strong | Excellent | Significant | Excellent | Excellent |
|
1 | Donate |
| Stop TB Partnership | International | Tuberculosis | Strong | Excellent | Significant | Strong | Excellent |
|
2 | Donate |
| Nurse-Family Partnership | U.S. | Childcare | Strong | Limited | Probable | Above average | Excellent |
|
3 | Donate |
| KIPP | U.S. | Education | Above average | Limited | Probable | Above average | Strong |
|
4 | Donate |
| Against Malaria Foundation | International | Malaria | Moderate | Excellent | Significant | Excellent | Strong |
|
5 | Donate |
| Population Services International | International | HIV/AIDS; malaria | Moderate | Excellent | Probable | Excellent | Strong |
|
6 | Donate |
| Partners in Health | International | Health clinics | Moderate | Moderate | Probable | Above average | Above average |
|
7 | Donate |
| The Global Fund | International | HIV/AIDS; malaria; TB | Limited | Moderate | Probable | Excellent | Strong |
|
8 | Donate |
| Teach for America | U.S. | Education | Above average | Limited | Unknown | Above average | Strong |
|
9 | Donate |
| Pratham | India | Education | Above average | Limited | Unknown | Moderate | Strong |
|
10 | Donate |
Interpreting our ratings
- Strong on all of our criteria, and you can feel confident that your donation will cost-effectively change lives.
- Stands above the vast majority of charities on our criteria, though there is substantial room for concern on at least one of the criteria.
- Does not necessarily rate well on all our criteria, but there is at least one prominent and unusual factor in its favor compared to other charities: unusual transparency, unusual commitment to self-evaluation, superiority (on our criteria) to others with similar programs, and/or at least one substantial and impressive success in its past.
- Does not show signs of meeting any of our criteria.
What do you get for your dollar? An overview
| Cause | Top-rated charities | Cost | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| International aid | VillageReach, Stop Tuberculosis Partnership | $200-$1,000 per life saved | Improve health, save lives |
| Poverty (international) | None | - | Unclear, if any |
| U.S. Poverty | Nurse-Family Partnership | $10,000 per child served | Increase academic performance and reduce criminal behavior |
| U.S. Education | Knowledge is Power Program | $20,000 per student (including state education funds) | Improve academic performance |
| Job Training (U.S.) | None | $10,000 per client served | Unclear, if any |