Who does the most good? Village mind and Body Institute would be my choice. They Help people with their mental health issues, they are all volunteer staff so none of the money goes to payroll.

I try to donate to local charities or local branches of charities.

Habitat for Humanity
Salvation Army
Food Banks

In the past, I have given a fair amount to Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts ( I was a scout leader for many years). While the organizations have had some problems, hopefully they will evolve to be strong organizations again.

Wildwood Soup Kitchen and Project SOS

The Salvation Army anywhere in the world. Always first on site when the poop hits the fan, with hot drinks and a snack for responders.
In UK I support The Royal National Lifeboat Institution. All volunteer crews, who brave it in all weathers to rescue those in distress.
The only paid and retained member of the crews are the lifeboat coxwains.
The whole setup, boats, training etc. is from public subscription.
Also The Gurkha Welfare Trust. The brave little warriors from Nepal, who have fought alongside British troops since 1825.
Up until recently they had a raw deal from the British Government, but their post service benefits have been raised in last few years.
I had the privilege of serving alongside them for some years back in the day.

Local American Legion post
 

Consider a local American Legion Post. They screen Vet requests for assistance very well.

I avoid national charities that pay their CEOs hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I prefer one-on-one help, often anonymously. That way I know no middleman gets part of the money. All of it goes to someone who needs it.

I know national charities do good. It just irks me that the CEO gets the first $1 million. A lot of people could benefit if the CEO got $200,000.

That's just the way I roll. Greatest benefit for the greatest number of people in need.

There is no shortage of people who will take your money. You can, you should research
how the money is spent. Percentage to overhead.

Non-profit does not mean honest. Does the top management need expensive cars, a company yacht a private jet?

To see if your charitable contributions are being used wisely, look at CharityNavigator.org.

Who needs it
 

2020 church food pantries not connected to a bigger outfit. Other times I looked for a place that had the biggest natural disaster that year - SE Louisiana last year no jobs hit by 2 hurricanes. Mainly places where a little money will make a bigger difference

Best Friends in Kanab, UT

St. Jude

Go to charitynavigator.com and it will give you the real scoop on charities

Ronald McDonald House

Umcor
 

The United Methodist Committee on Relief - UMCOR. 100% of your donations go to help those in need following natural disasters or other such situations where people are in desperate need.

St Jude, wounded Warriors, Tunnel to Towers and Ronald McDonald House. All with high percentage helping those who need, not the administrators.

Salvation Army with out a doubt!

We support Ziggy's Haven Bird Sanctuary in Inverness and Your Humane Society SPCA in Lake Panasoffkee where I volunteer as a dog walker several times a week.

Combat Veterans to Careers. Local group worthy of your donation.

Note: If you buy stuff on Amazon, you should do it through their Amazon Smile website. Same prices and same way to order, but a percentage of your purchases goes as a donation to the charity of your choice.

Salvation Army would be my choice as they focus on people who are down and out and also present a gospel message in the process. Tom

Favorite Charity or Good Cause
 

Voices for Children of NC FL supports children represented by the Guardian ad Litem Program. These are local children who have been abused or neglected. We are all volunteers and over 90% of our funds go towards helping the children. Check out our website Voices4ChildrenFL.org. I am happy to speak with you if you would like more information.

Honor Flight
 

Honor Flight in TheVillages is a 501(c)3 and flys veterans for free to Washington, DC to honor them and
see their memorials.

Cross Catholic Outreach is my first choice. St Vincent DePaul second

Salvation Army
 

Almost every penny given goes to those in need. Very little taken for “administrative fees.”

The best uses of funds , research needs of local schools , animal shelters , etc. community help will be most appreciated. The big charities are popular but again everyone has a favorite, or were impacted by a disease that their charity was helping. A few phone calls to schools , county offices , etc could make a difference

Charities
 

Salvation Army Leesburg-they're local, hands on, feed the poor and the money stays here.

St Jude

St Jude Children's Research Hospital and Florida Sheriff's Youth Ranch!

Cornerstone Hospice. Awesome non profit.
 

Cornerstone Hospice. They are truly angels. They are very supportive and caring as patients and families deal with the end of life.

St Judes
Tunnel to Towers
Judicial Watch

Charitynavigator online is a reputable source reporting admin costs vs actual funds used for the cause for various charities.

great charity
 

One of my favorites is the American Macular Degeneration Foundation - they give 100% to research!

St. Jude and only St. Jude. All money goes to hospital..love them.

Independent reviews
 

I use CHARITY NAVIGATOR to select which charities make the best use of my donations. It's a great source of information .
My current charities are:
DAV - Disabled American Veterans
Second Harvest Food Bank
Tunnel to Towers - helping families of first responders who lost their lives. Its leadership takes no compensation for the work they do. That's very rare.
Joe

I donated monthly to 6 or 7 organizations. Agree with others that Charity Navigator is a great source for researching organizations and finding ones you want are passionate about. My top two are St Judes and Save the Children. Both are outstanding organizations that really make a difference.

If you use Amazon Smile, you can pick your charity and they donate money to your charity every time you make a purchase. We also donate to Heifer International Founded in 1944, Heifer Project International is a sustainable development organization that works to end hunger and poverty and protect the earth. Through livestock, training and Passing on the Gift, Heifer has helped 30 million families in more than 125 countries improve their quality of life and move toward greater self-reliance. Heifer helps build strong communities because each project participant Passes on the Gift of their animal's first female offspring, training in its care and in sustainable agriculture to another family in need, multiplying the benefit.

St. Judes, cancer research , wounded warriors. And animal rescue

So sad
 

I think that the Moose Club should have a plaque above the bar, PLUS free beer for the rest of his life.

Let Grow
 

My current favorite charity is a small but growing dot-org that's fighting the over-coddling mentality in modern child rearing.

Let Grow | When Adults Step Back, Kids Step Up.

The Christian Care Center in Leesburg! It hosts many charities under one umbrella and each has it's own building on the campus. Men's recovery center. Women's shelter. Foster care home for "hard to place". Homelessness to self-sufficiency hotel. Medical Clinic. Food Bank. Women's pregnancy Center.
Help locally!

For children’s literacy
 

The “Room to Read” organization works to improve children’s literacy in underserved parts of the world, by building libraries, publishing children’s book, programs to improve reading skills, and supporting education for girls.

I’m a retired CPA, and am very careful with my donations. This non-profit does great much-needed work effectively and efficiently.

If you’re interested, their website is very informative, and some books available on how this nonprofit started, has grown, and the work they do.