Out of the multitude of charities out there, just being on this list with over half a billion dollars raised is extremely impressive. The Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU) ups the ante by being the largest mission agency in the world. But it’s not all ministry, CRU also partners with more than 2000 churches and organizations to assist America’s poor with survival and steps to escape from poverty. One of my favorite new charities since I began researching this list, Step Up for Students is a non-profit scholarship funding organization that helps by administering two scholarships for school children. Though 24th on our list because of raw fundraising, that’s slightly misleading because “Step Up” is focused solely in the state of Florida. With such a small scope, the funds raised are much more impressive, as are the fantastic ratings in the efficiency of those funds. MAP International is a Christian organization specializing in promoting public health in communities struck by poverty. They are (rightfully) very proud of their efficiency and financial accountability, sporting a four star (out of four) rating on Charity Navigator and a solidly verifiable 100% fundraising efficiency. It’s like free money. 99% of all donations go to directly to those in need adding up to $60 worth of aid for every material dollar donated! Samaritan’s Purse is a non-denominational evangelical Christian organization which helps meet the needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine. Though very openly evangelical towards those it helps, Samaritan’s Purse does not discriminate in terms of providing assistance to anyone and has been very active in treating victims in the struggle against ISIS. Arguably the most recognizable charity on this list, the American Red Cross is the group that goes charging in to help in the wake of disaster all around the world. In fact, on average they respond to a disaster every eight minutes. While there has been some question as to funds appropriation (common among large charities, unfortunately) there is no denying their effectiveness as they literally and effectively administer half of the United States blood supply. As you can imagine, the American Heart Association specifically focuses on education and prevention of heart disease and related conditions (such as stroke.) As specific as their topic seems, they cover everything from diet, to nutritional legislation, to research trials. All in the name of keeping our biological engines running smoothly. As a nature-lover I regularly donate to this particular group. Their staff includes over 600 scientists from over 69 countries all with the sole purpose of preserving and promoting nature through non-confrontational, collaborative approaches to subjects such as legislation and environmental education. LSA is a network of over 300 Lutheran nonprofit organizations throughout the United States and the Caribbean. They focus on assisting vulnerable, low-income Americans and provide assistance for everything from prenatal care to senior care and everything in-between. Americares can be found on site at nearly every humanitarian disaster in the world providing medical aid and recovery support in dangerous and difficult situations such as the Ebola outbreak, the Zika virus, and the continuing Syrian refugee crisis. Pure private support and 100% efficiency caused Charity Navigator to award Direct Relief a four star rating. Much like the Americares Foundation, they provide much-needed medical resources in extremely difficult worldwide situations such as the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew and also the refugee crisis in Syria! If you’ve seen those commercials telling you to sponsor a child for 79 cents a day (or something around there…) you’ve seen Compassion International. An openly Christian organization, they are adamant about being universally inclusive despite some controversy regarding attempts to convert children to their faith. Regardless, having helped literally millions of children worldwide, there’s no disputing the good they do. The “PAN Foundation” exists to help people who are either uninsured or underinsured get necessary treatment for rare, chronic, and life-threatening diseases. They are huge advocates for universal health care and provided for over 700,000 underinsured patients in 2016. “Cancer” is one of the most terrifying diagnosis’ a patient can receive. Fortunately, as you can imagine, the American Cancer Society’s sole purpose is to support those battling this horrible disease while they conduct research in order to eventually free the world of this horror. World Vision is an outspoken Christian charity that is both massive and unafraid. They focus greatly on community development and sustainable assistance such as farming or fresh water resources. They also have a great record of inclusiveness and are historically unafraid to tackle unpopular causes such as aiding middle-eastern refugees. Habitat for Humanity is a well-known and unique charity that specializes in assisting those in need with their living situations. This varies from building new homes, to renovating existing homes (usually in low-income urban developments) to assisting with temporary shelter during disaster relief. It’s hard to find somebody who hasn’t at least seen a local Goodwill shop. They do a lot of good indeed, helping to rehabilitate people and find work for those who have trouble getting back on their feet such as veterans or disabled workers. While they’ve encountered some controversy in regards to their retail operations, they generate massive charity numbers and carry a respectable fundraising efficiency rating. Though obviously another religion-based charity, as one of their core values Catholic Charities USA absolutely does not discriminate those in need and feels it is their duty to utilize the vast Catholic base in order to provide essential services to the poor along with robust disaster relief when tragedy strikes. It’s very likely you’ve seen Denzel Washington promoting this club on TV, as he’s been their spokesman for 20 years! And with good reason as the Boys & Girls Clubs serve the needs of nearly 4 million young people annually through thousands of clubs, schools and programs in the United States. Food for the Poor specializes in reaching Caribbean and Latin American countries where poverty is rampant. They focus on community building, providing food, housing, and also emergency relief to places like Haiti after disasters such as Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Very few causes will give you the warm fuzzies like St. Jude. Their sole purpose is treating children suffering from potentially catastrophic diseases such as cancer. Further, their mission statement specifically reads: “…no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family’s ability to pay.” Many people know about “The Y”, but not as many know it’s a bona fide charity. As a result of their membership model, despite the massive “Total Revenue,” it only makes number five on our list due to a large portion of that not being private donations. With that said, the social services they provide are invaluable and the 89% efficiency rating should make members feel good about paying their dues! As an easy contender for “most recognized” charity on our list, there’s no doubt you’ve come across the iconic Salvation Army bell ringers during the holiday season. They are a huge organization that assists with everything from sheltering the homeless to combating human trafficking. This one is near and dear to me as I grew up poor and my family sometimes had to rely on food banks to feed us. As you can imagine, Feeding America’s primary goal is to make sure Americans don’t go hungry. They are easily the largest domestic hunger-relief organization in the country and operate over two hundred food banks nationwide. If this list were based on anything but sheer charity dollars volume, this would probably be number 1. Massive income combined with 100% commitment and efficiency helped the Task Force for Global Health win the 2016 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize. They help developing countries battle diseases ranging from river blindness to Zika, and even Ebola. United Way is the worldwide charity behemoth that covers nearly every category and exists in more than 40 countries worldwide and boasts nearly 2.6 million volunteers. Even with a lower efficiency rating than #2 (92% is still good!) the amount of charity dollars generated is astounding.
