Our criteria:
- Are programs proven? More.
- Are programs cost-effective? More.
- Can the charity productively use additional funds? More.
- Is the above information shared transparently? More.
Top-rated charities
Of the charities that we have considered, these are our top-rated United States charities: (
What do our ratings mean?)
- The Knowledge is Power Program (Gold Medal) is a network of charter schools across the U.S. focusing on improving academic outcomes for disadvantaged youth. All students in a school's vicinity are eligible for admission, and tuition is free. KIPP takes the position that disadvantaged students are behind from the day they enter, and need schools that are focused on going above and beyond a “normal” education. Our analysis implies that KIPP is having a real effect on academic outcomes, showing significant gains throughout KIPP's national network of schools. Donate to the Knowledge Is Power Program
- The Nurse-Family Partnership (Gold Medal) program consists of sending registered nurses to perform regular visits to low-income mothers, both during and immediately after pregnancy (up until the child's second birthday), in order to counsel them on issues such as birth spacing, child nutrition, and maintaining a safe and supportive environment. Repeated studies of this program have shown lasting differences between those who did and didn't participate in the program (even when participants were chosen by lottery). Donate to Nurse-Family Partnership
- Invest in Kids (Silver Medal): Invest in Kids is a Colorado-based organization. Invest in Kids has a track record and continued commitment to supporting and implementing evidence-based programs, including the Nurse-Family Partnership program. Invest in Kids currently needs additional funding to scale up The Incredible Years program, a program which has been rigorously evaluated numerous times but has published only relatively short-term results. Donate to Invest in Kids
