Questions about specific charities

Why don't you rate the Salvation Army?

The Salvation Army is exempt under the Internal Revenue Code from filing Form 990 as a "church or convention or association of churches." As a result, we lack sufficient data to evaluate them.

How can I request that Charity Navigator evaluate a specific charity?

Charity Navigator currently evaluates more than 240,000 charities. If a charity is not currently rated, you can still find basic information on its listing page, along with guidance on how to conduct your own due diligence.

You can also encourage any unrated charity you’re interested in to begin the evaluation process by creating a Nonprofit Portal account and submitting information to Charity Navigator.

How to report misconduct by a charity?

If you suspect that a charity is engaged in unethical or unlawful activity, we encourage you to report it to the government authorities responsible for regulating charities.

At the federal level, charity regulation resides in the hands of the IRS. The IRS website offers instructions for filing a complaint about a charity by either: (1) Submitting your concerns in writing by email (eoclass@irs.gov) or by regular mail (IRS EO Classification, Mail Code 4910, 1100 Commerce Street, Dallas, TX 75242) or (2) by completing Form 13909, the Tax-Exempt Organization Complaint (Referral) Form.

In most states, nonprofit regulation is the responsibility of the Attorney General or the Secretary of State. The National Association of State Charity Officials’ website provides links to many of the state offices that regulate charities.