ConsumerReports.org has a pretty good summary of the charity watchdog organizations in the U.S. They recommend three:

• American Institute of Philanthropy (www.charitywatch.org)
  
• the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance (www.give.org)
  
• Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org)

Sometimes, I think these "watchdog" organizations are too damn fussy, and it's better to rely on personal experience and donate to organizations you know. I'm not sure I completely agree with Charity Navigator's criticism of the Red Cross, for example. All organizations make mistakes - corporations and governments make mistakes that can waste lots of money, too. And the cost of fundraising isn't always just wasted advertising - I get a lot of good information from the mailings I get from many charities.



-Joe-

Yeah, I know the message starting this thread was bogus, but it DID start a worthwhile discussion.