Global Look At Charity Registration

There isn’t a week that goes by without an inquiry from a donor who wants to know if we’ve established a Charity Navigator branch in their country. We have not. Although the scope of the charity’s work may be overseas, we only examine charities with 501 (c ) (3) public charity status in the US. Aside from our limited resources, a major factor in why we haven’t expanded is the general lack of data on charities in other parts of the world.

It was with the knowledge of this growing global demand for nonprofit evaluation and the deficit of requisite data that made me stop and read the minutes from the 2010 International Charity Regulators Conference. This was a meeting of the various entities from around the world - like the IRS in the U.S. - that regulate charities. Representatives from countries like Australia and Scotland discuss their accomplishments and challenges. I know, it sounds boring, but it is a quick read and an interesting snapshot of how nonprofit marketplaces in other parts of the world are changing.

Photo from Shutterstock.com