Fundraising Guide
International Day of Charity: A Good Reminder to Vet Before You Give
Compare verified fundraising campaigns and NGOs on FundTracker. Real-time trust scores, funding data, and donor guides for smarter giving.
By Deepak Meena
Lead Data Analyst at FundTracker
International Day of Charity is observed annually on September 5, established by the United Nations General Assembly to raise awareness of charitable giving and provide a shared moment for individuals and organizations to focus on philanthropy. It is a reasonable annual prompt to pause and actually check the organizations you support, rather than just donating on habit or emotional impulse.
Why an annual check-in on your giving is useful
Charitable registration status, tax-exemption certifications, and organizational leadership can all change year to year. An organization you researched and trusted three years ago may not be in the same position today — certifications lapse, leadership changes, and financial health shifts. An annual reminder to re-verify the organizations already on your giving list is a genuinely useful habit, not just a symbolic gesture.
A simple annual giving review
Once a year, pull up the list of organizations you regularly support and check three things for each: is their registration and tax-exempt status still current, has their most recent annual report or financial statement been published, and has anything changed about their program focus since you last checked. This takes a few minutes per organization and catches problems before they compound.
Using the day to explore new causes too
Beyond reviewing existing giving, an awareness day like this is also a reasonable moment to research one new cause area or organization you haven't previously considered, rather than only reinforcing existing giving habits.
FundTracker tracks verified NGO campaigns with trust scores, making an annual giving review faster. Compare organizations you support, or discover new ones, on our NGO rankings page.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What should I look for in a strong fundraising campaign?
A strong campaign explains the goal clearly, shows how funds will be used, shares the amount already raised, and provides enough context to judge urgency. Campaigns tied to real NGO profiles and recurring updates usually deserve more trust than vague one-paragraph appeals.
How do I verify a fundraising organization before donating?
Check whether the organization publishes audited financial statements, has a verified registration, and shows clear program spending. FundTracker trust scores surface these signals automatically across GlobalGiving campaigns so you can compare before committing.
Related NGOs
- Against Malaria Foundation
Trust score: 99
Helps protect people from malaria by funding the distribution of long-lasting insecticidal nets.
- GlobalGiving
Trust score: 98
GlobalGiving runs impact campaigns listed on FundTracker.
- Doctors Without Borders
Trust score: 98
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides medical humanitarian assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare.
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