Giving is one of the most meaningful acts we can take. It’s a way to support causes that matter and help people in need we may never meet. But if you’ve ever donated and felt a twinge of doubt: Where did my money go? Did it actually help?

You’re not alone.

For many donors, giving today feels like dropping money into a black box. You care deeply about making an impact, yet you’re left wondering if your donation was spent as intended. That lack of transparency is one of the biggest barriers to trust in the nonprofit world.

The good news: there are clear ways to check if a charity is legit before you give. Here are four of the most reliable.

1. Check Their Track Record

A legitimate charity should show what it has accomplished, not just what it hopes to do. Look for annual reports, success stories, or even social media updates that highlight real outcomes.

For example, if a nonprofit focuses on education, you should see evidence of schools supported, children enrolled, or supplies distributed. Numbers matter, but stories do too - they reveal the human side of your donation. If you can’t find either, that’s a red flag.

2. Review Their Financial Transparency

Every nonprofit has expenses, but a trustworthy one will make its finances easy to find. Annual reports, IRS Form 990s (in the U.S.), and audited financial statements should be publicly available.

What you’re looking for isn’t perfection, but clarity. Do most funds support programs rather than overhead? Are they upfront about administrative costs? If a charity makes it hard to answer those questions, it’s worth reconsidering your donation.

3. Use Trusted Ratings

You don’t have to do all the detective work yourself. Independent platforms like Charity Navigator and Candid rate nonprofits based on accountability, financial health, and transparency. These ratings can help you quickly identify if a charity is well-run and trustworthy.

At Givelink, we actually check these ratings for every nonprofit featured on our platform. That way, donors don’t have to spend hours researching. Every option you see has already passed the transparency test.

4. Give Goods Instead of Money

One of the simplest ways to cut through the uncertainty is to donate goods directly. Instead of wondering how cash will be spent, you can provide exactly what a nonprofit needs—whether that’s baby formula, school supplies, or winter coats.

This is where Givelink takes transparency a step further. By letting you donate specific items requested live by nonprofits, you can see your impact more clearly. There’s far less room for doubt when your contribution is something tangible.

Why It Matters

Charitable giving should feel empowering, not uncertain. By checking a nonprofit’s track record, reviewing their finances, consulting trusted ratings, and considering giving goods instead of money, you can make sure your donation goes where it’s needed most.

At the end of the day, doing this homework is important. But if you’d rather skip the hours of research, platforms like Givelink make giving simpler and more transparent. You choose the items, we vet the charities, and together we make sure your generosity translates into real impact.