A Blog About Charity Navigator and Our Founder

Ken Berger and Pat Dugan

This week, Laura Barlament, Editor of Wagner Magazine, stopped by to interview our President & CEO, Ken Berger, and our Founder & Chairman of the Board, Pat Dugan. Although the interview was for a longer article due out this summer, she already published a blog about her day at our office. Read it to find out what caused Mr. Dugan to say "it's like a dagger in my heart."

As a 501 (c) (3) organization itself, Charity Navigator depends on public support to help donors make informed choices. Please consider investing in the future of Charity Navigator by making a donation today.  Donate now >>

Update: IRA Charitable Rollover

The Pension Protection Act of 2006 contained several provisions for favorable tax treatment of certain charitable contributions. Most expired in 2007 only to be extended several times for two-year periods. Donors that prefer to take advantage of these provisions- including the popular IRA Charitable Rollover - have been frustrated over the years waiting to find out which ones will be extended. 

If you aren't familiar with the IRA Charitable Rollover, it allows individuals 70 1/2 or older to distribute up to $100,000 from an IRA to a qualifying charity.  While taxpayers can't claim a charitable deduction for such gifts, they don't have to count the gift as taxable income.

For those donors who like to give via the IRA Charitable Rollover, good news finally came via the American Taxpayer Relief Act. The TRA extended this provisions through 2013 (meaning that without another extension, donors are out of luck again come 2014). In addition, taxpayers have until the end of this month (the clock is ticking!) to make charitable distributions treated as effective in 2012. 



As a 501 (c) (3) organization itself, Charity Navigator depends on public support to help donors make informed choices. Please consider investing in the future of Charity Navigator by making a donation today.  Donate now >>

Recent TV Interviews

Our President & CEO, Ken Berger, has appeared on CNN and Fox Business News several times in the last few weeks. You can view each of those interviews on his blog, Ken's Commentary. Here are the direct links:

• CNN: Livestrong without Armstrong
• CNN: Newton Fraud Investigation
• Avoiding Charity Scams

As a 501 (c) (3) organization itself, Charity Navigator depends on public support to help donors make informed choices. Please consider investing in the future of Charity Navigator by making a donation today.  Donate now >>

Syrian Refugee Crisis

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We've just published a new Hot Topic which lists the highly-rated charities providing humanitarian aid to the ever-increasing number of Syrian refugees. 

Review The List Now>>>








As a 501 (c) (3) organization itself, Charity Navigator depends on public support to help donors make informed choices. Please consider investing in the future of Charity Navigator by making a donation today.  Donate now >>

Top 10 Most Viewed Charity Navigator Blog Posts

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1. Are Text Donations Safe? (January 2010)
2. 7.0 Earthquake Hits Haiti (January 2010)
3. Non-Profit CEO Pay and Government Funding (February 2009)
4. Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti Foundation (January 2010)
5. The Obama Budget and Charitable Tax Deductions (February 2009) 
6. Help the Victims of the Deadly Cyclone in Myanmar (May 2008) 
7. Beware of Scam Charities Popping Up (January 2010)
8. Crisis Giving: Cyclone, Earthquake, Tornadoes and Fires (May 2008)
9. Help Victims of the Pakistani Flood (August 2010)
10. Tips, Tips And More Tips For Funding Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts (January 2010)

As a 501 (c) (3) organization itself, Charity Navigator depends on public support to help donors make informed choices. Please consider investing in the future of Charity Navigator by making a donation today.  Donate now >>

Set Your 2013 Philanthropic Goals

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1. First, determine what causes are most important to you and be sure to be specific.
2. Next, develop a list of charities engaged in that type of work
3. Then, using Charity Navigator’s free website, narrow that list to just a few that are financially healthy and ethical.
4. Examine the charity’s results by reviewing its website and/or talking with staff.  They should be able to tell you more than just the number of activities or people served and speak to the quality and depth of their results (for example, not just whether someone got a job but for how long) as well as their capacity to continue to get these results. This year, Charity Navigator will begin providing this information on each charity we rate.
5. Finally, map out a plan and budget for the year and let the organization know your intentions. Knowing your plan helps the charity keep its fundraising expenses at a minimum while focusing on the programs you intended to support in the first place.

As a 501 (c) (3) organization itself, Charity Navigator depends on public support to help donors make informed choices. Please consider investing in the future of Charity Navigator by making a donation today.  Donate now >>

Happy New Year

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Charity Navigator would like to be among the first to wish you a very Happy New Year!

As a 501 (c) (3) organization itself, Charity Navigator depends on public support to help donors make informed choices. Please consider investing in the future of Charity Navigator by making a donation today.  Donate now >>