25 Best Nonprofits to Donate to (Over 95 Percent Charitable Commitment)

Every year, Forbes publishes its list of America’s Top 100 Charities, ranking organizations by private donations and evaluating them for financial efficiency, charitable commitment, and transparency. We reviewed that list and pulled out the organizations with a charitable commitment of 95% or higher — the ones where nearly every dollar you give goes directly to the work, not to overhead.

Charitable commitment (also called the program expense ratio) measures the percentage of a nonprofit’s total expenses that go directly toward its charitable programs and services, rather than administrative costs or fundraising. An organization with a 99% charitable commitment spends 99 cents of every dollar on its mission.

Twenty organizations on the 2025 Forbes list meet the 95% threshold, and we‘ve also highlighted five more that come in at 94% — still an exceptionally high standard — in a separate section at the end.

Summary: Top 10 High-Efficiency Charities at a Glance

Nonprofit	Charitable Commitment	Focus Area
Good360	100%	Disaster relief
Direct Relief	99%	Healthcare/Disaster relief
MAP International	99%	Healthcare
HealthWell Foundation	99%	Healthcare
Midwest Food Bank	99%	Food/Hunger relief
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	99%	Healthcare
Heart to Heart International	99%	Healthcare
Feeding America	98%	Food/Hunger relief
Americares	98%	Healthcare/Disaster relief
Task Force for Global Health	98%	Healthcare

Key takeways

• All 20 primary nonprofits on this list commit 95% or more of their total expenses directly to their charitable mission (charity watchdogs typically consider 75% acceptable).
• Good360 achieved 100% charitable commitment in 2025, with $3.2 billion raised.
• Six organizations achieve 99% charitable commitment: Direct Relief, MAP International, HealthWell Foundation, Midwest Food Bank, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Heart to Heart International.
• Healthcare is the most represented category, with organizations addressing everything from global health access to cancer treatment.

20 Nonprofits With 95% or More of Donations Going to the Cause

1. Good360 (100%)

Good360 connects companies that have surplus goods with communities in need, and in the 2025 Forbes rankings it reached a milestone: 100% charitable commitment, meaning every dollar of its expenses went to programs. Ranked #2 among all U.S. charities by private donations, the organization raised $3.2 billion in its most recent fiscal year and distributed goods to individuals and families recovering from natural disasters, housing instability, and other hardships.

• Mission: Transform lives by sourcing and distributing highly needed goods to people impacted by disaster and other challenging circumstances.
• Focus: Disaster relief and product philanthropy.

2. Direct Relief (99%)

Direct Relief routes medicines, medical equipment, and emergency supplies to healthcare providers in more than 90 countries. The organization covers its own fundraising costs through investment income, so donor contributions go entirely to programs.

• Mission: Equip doctors and nurses with life-saving medical resources to care for the world’s most vulnerable people.
• Focus: Healthcare and disaster relief.

3. MAP International (99%)

MAP International’s model is particularly efficient: because they receive many supplies at little or no cost, a single donated dollar can fund more than $65 in medicines and health supplies delivered to people in need.

• Mission: Provide medicines and health supplies to people in need around the world, regardless of race, gender, religion, nationality, or ethnic background.
• Focus: Global health and medicine access.

4. HealthWell Foundation (99%)

HealthWell provides financial assistance for prescription copays, insurance premiums, deductibles, pediatric treatments, and travel costs for patients who would otherwise be unable to afford care. Since its founding in 2003, the organization has provided more than $4 billion in support through over 1.5 million grants. Forbes ranked HealthWell #17 with $887 million in private donations and recognized it for 100% fundraising efficiency.

• Mission: Reduce financial barriers to healthcare for underinsured patients with chronic or life-altering diseases.
• Focus: Healthcare financial assistance.

5. Midwest Food Bank (99%)

A faith-based organization operating at 12 locations, Midwest Food Bank distributes over $44 million worth of food monthly to more than 2,000 nonprofits. In addition to monetary donations, they accept in-kind gifts like vehicles, gift cards, and food items.

• Mission: Alleviate hunger and malnutrition and provide disaster relief throughout the U.S. and internationally.
• Focus: Food security and disaster relief.

6. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (99%)

The world’s oldest and largest private cancer center, MSK has devoted more than 140 years to cancer treatment and research. With $530 million in private donations and a 99% charitable commitment, MSK achieves an unusually high program ratio for a major medical institution — a reflection of its endowment strength and operational structure.

• Mission: Provide exceptional patient care, conduct innovative research, and offer outstanding educational programs in the fight against cancer.
• Focus: Cancer care and research.

7. Heart to Heart International (99%)

Heart to Heart International works to broaden healthcare access for underserved populations through disaster response, refugee assistance, mobile clinics, and volunteer-driven care. The organization maintains 100% fundraising efficiency and a 99% charitable commitment.

• Mission: Improve healthcare in the U.S. and around the world through resources, training, volunteers, and disaster response.
• Focus: Global healthcare access.

8. Feeding America (98%)

In the United States, food insecurity is on the rise. Today, 48 million people face hunger. That includes more than 14.1 million children. Feeding America is the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, supporting food banks and pantries in local communities.

• Mission: Advance change in America by ensuring equitable access to nutritious food for all people.
• Focus: Domestic hunger relief.

9. Americares (98%)

Americares responds to both sudden crises and chronic healthcare gaps, delivering medicine, clinician support, and community health programming where it is needed most. Poor health creates a cascade of hardship — affecting a person’s ability to work, learn, and care for their family. Americares specifically targets the intersection of poverty and health.

• Mission: Save lives and improve health for people affected by poverty or disaster through emergency response, access to medicine, and community health services.
• Focus: Healthcare and disaster response.

10. Task Force for Global Health (98%)

The Task Force for Global Health takes on the world’s most persistent diseases, particularly those that disproportionately affect the poorest populations. Their work includes raising childhood immunization rates in developing countries, managing large-scale medication programs, and leading what has been called the largest disease mapping project ever undertaken.

• Mission: Strengthen health systems worldwide so that countries can protect their populations from disease and build lasting health infrastructure.
• Focus: Global public health.

11. Matthew 25: Ministries (98%)

Matthew 25: Ministries operates on a straightforward premise: meeting a person’s basic needs can help them become self-reliant. Their programs span food assistance, clean water initiatives, clothing distribution, and emergency humanitarian relief for communities in crisis both domestically and internationally.

• Mission: Provide nutritional food, clean water, clothing, affordable shelter, medical care, and humanitarian supplies to those in need.
• Focus: Humanitarian aid.

12. Marine Toys for Tots Foundation (97%)

Since 1947, Toys for Tots has delivered more than 700 million toys to children in need. Operated by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, local campaigns run in more than 900 communities each year between October and December.

• Mission: Deliver toys and other gifts to less fortunate children during the holiday season.
• Focus: Child welfare and community giving.

13. Mayo Clinic Health System (96%)

One of the largest nonprofit academic health systems in the United States, Mayo Clinic focuses on patients with serious and complex conditions. Achieving 96% charitable commitment while operating a major health system is an exceptional result — donations to Mayo support research and care that extends well beyond their own patient population.

• Mission: Inspire hope and contribute to the health and well-being of every patient through integrated clinical practice, education, and research.
• Focus: Complex illness care and medical research.

14. Catholic Medical Mission Board (96%)

An international, faith-based NGO, CMMB delivers sustainable health services across Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, with a specific focus on women’s and children’s health. In addition to their 96% charitable commitment, the organization has also consistently earned Charity Navigator’s highest rating, providing independent validation for donors who want additional verification.

• Mission: Provide long-term medical and developmental aid to communities affected by poverty and unequal access to healthcare.
• Focus: Women’s and children’s health in underserved regions.

15. American Kidney Fund (96%)

The AKF is the nation’s leading kidney nonprofit. Their scope covers prevention, early detection, financial support, disease management, clinical research, innovation, and advocacy — a range that runs from community education through post-transplant patient support.

• Mission: Fight kidney disease on behalf of the 35.5 million Americans living with the disease, and the millions more at risk.
• Focus: Kidney disease prevention and patient support.

16. Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina (96%)

Serving 34 counties across a large swath of North Carolina, this regional food bank operates six distribution centers and works through a network of more than 700 partner agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters.

• Mission: Nourish people, build communities, and end hunger across central and eastern North Carolina.
• Focus: Food security and hunger relief.

17. The Assistance Fund (95%)

TAF covers more than 100 disease programs and has helped over 260,000 people access treatment they would otherwise struggle to afford. The application process is intentionally designed to be straightforward so patients can get support without adding another burden to an already difficult situation.

• Mission: Help patients and families facing high medical costs by providing financial assistance for copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, and other health-related expenses.
• Focus: Healthcare financial assistance.

18. Second Harvest of Silicon Valley (95%)

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley serves Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, distributing food to hundreds of thousands of people each year through a network of community partners.

• Mission: Provide nutritious food to people in need and advance solutions to end hunger in Silicon Valley.
• Focus: Food security and hunger relief.

19. Combined Jewish Philanthropies (95%)

Combined Jewish Philanthropies is the Jewish federation for the greater Boston area, funding a broad range of social services, Jewish education, and community programs both locally and globally.

• Mission: Mobilize the Boston Jewish community to care for people in need, strengthen Jewish life, and repair the world.
• Focus: Domestic community needs and social services.

20. St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance (95%)

The first food bank in the world — founded in 1967 — St. Mary’s Food Bank has spent more than 50 years building a model that others have followed. Serving 9 of Arizona’s 15 counties, they distribute food through hundreds of nonprofit partners, run a children’s food program, and offer hands-on workforce training programs.

• Mission: Gather and distribute food to combat hunger across Arizona.
• Focus: Food security and hunger relief.

Also Excellent Choices: Five More Organizations at 94% Charitable Commitment

A 94% charitable commitment still far exceeds what most nonprofits achieve and what most watchdog organizations require. Here are five more organizations that came in just below the 95%.

Catholic Relief Services (94%)

One of the largest international aid organizations in the U.S., Catholic Relief Services operates in more than 100 countries, providing emergency relief, agriculture support, education, health services, and economic development programs.

• Mission: Assist the poor and vulnerable overseas, guided by the values of Catholic social teaching.
• Focus: International poverty relief and humanitarian aid.

Cross Catholic Outreach (94%)

Cross Catholic Outreach partners with local Catholic priests, sisters, and missionaries in more than 90 developing countries to deliver food, medicine, clean water, housing, education, and emergency relief. Forbes ranks them #47 with $437 million in private donations and 97% fundraising efficiency.

• Mission: Mobilize the Catholic Church in America to bring help and hope to the poorest of the poor around the world.
• Focus: International poverty relief and disaster aid.

Carter Center (94%)

Founded by President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter in 1982, the Carter Center has monitored more than 125 elections across 40 countries and worked to eradicate diseases including Guinea worm disease, which has been reduced from 3.5 million cases annually to fewer than 20.

• Mission: Wage peace, fight disease, and build hope in the world’s most troubled places.
• Focus: International health and democracy promotion.

Scholarship America (94%)

Since 1958, Scholarship America has distributed more than $5 billion in scholarships to more than 3 million students, making it the nation’s largest nonprofit scholarship and educational support organization.

• Mission: Connect students to scholarship funding, with the goal of creating a world of equity, respect, and inclusion through education.
• Focus: Higher education access and scholarship administration.

Atlanta Community Food Bank (94%)

The Atlanta Community Food Bank serves 29 counties across metro Atlanta and north Georgia, distributing food through a network of more than 700 partner agencies.

• Mission: Fight hunger by engaging, educating, and empowering the community.
• Focus: Food security and hunger relief.

Methodology

This list was compiled by reviewing the Forbes Top 100 Charities, published annually based on private donation volume and evaluated using financial efficiency metrics drawn from audited financial statements, IRS Form 990 filings, and annual reports.

Our primary selection threshold is a charitable commitment of 95% or higher, meaning at least 95% of an organization’s total expenses must go directly to its charitable programs and services — not to administrative overhead or fundraising costs. The five organizations in the “Also Excellent Choices” section meet a 94% threshold. Both standards are well above what most watchdog organizations require; 75% is generally considered acceptable, and 90%+ is considered strong.

Forbes rankings and charitable commitment percentages reflect the most recent data available at publication (2025 list). We recommend verifying current figures directly with each organization or through Forbes, Charity Navigator, or CharityWatch before making a donation decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is charitable commitment, and why does it matter?

Charitable commitment (also called the program expense ratio) measures the percentage of a nonprofit’s total expenses that go toward its charitable programs, rather than toward administrative costs or fundraising. A 99% charitable commitment means 99 cents of every dollar spent goes to the mission. With this metric, you can compare how efficiently different organizations convert revenue into impact.

Is a higher charitable commitment always better?

Generally yes, but context matters. Some organizations have unavoidably higher overhead due to the nature of their work — medical research institutions, for example, have different cost structures than food distribution networks. For most donors, a charitable commitment of 75% or higher is considered acceptable, and anything above 90% is considered strong.

What’s the difference between charitable commitment and fundraising efficiency?

Charitable commitment looks at how an organization spends its total budget — specifically what share goes to programs. Fundraising efficiency measures how much it costs to raise each dollar in donations. Both matter, but they measure different things. An organization can have strong charitable commitment but spend more than average to raise funds, or vice versa.

How else can I verify a charity before donating?

Beyond Forbes, the two most widely used independent charity evaluators are Charity Navigator and CharityWatch. Both assess nonprofit financials, governance, and accountability. Candid (which incorporates GuideStar) provides access to Form 990 data for any U.S. nonprofit, so you can review the financial details directly if you want to go deeper.

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About MoneyMinder

At MoneyMinder, we work alongside nonprofits and the volunteer treasurers who keep them running—people dedicating their time to serve their communities every day. So whether you’re donating big or small, you’re helping fuel meaningful work that reaches real people and real needs. We commend you for taking the time to seek out reputable organizations to support.

About the Author

Cyndi Meuchel is the co-founder of MoneyMinder and a lifelong champion of community based organizations. A “serial volunteer” and entrepreneur, Cyndi leverages her deep understanding of the nonprofit sector to empower organizations towards success.