Charity Navigator review
Charity Navigator is a resource tool designed to help you evaluate charities and keep track of those you give to by providing detailed reports and ratings. You can find just about any charity and nonprofit listed in this program, and you can use many of the built-in features to determine the best places to send your donations.
Pros
Full of info: For each rated charity listed, this app provides information on its Mission, Board, and Leadership, Accountability and Transparency Performance Metrics, recent Income Statements, and more. Even entries for unrated charities and organizations include info on their Foundation Status, Affiliation, Exempt Organization Status, and Income.
My Charities section: You can create a My Charities list in this app to help you stay up to date on the groups you give to. Add any charity to the list right from its listing page by tapping the little eye icon at the top of the charity's main page.
Cons
Awkward interface: Navigation in this app is very awkward, and there are some seemingly basic features missing. For instance, the search box doesn't have a button to erase the last entry, so every time you want to complete a new search, you have to manually erase whatever is there. Changing screens is also jerky, and many of the controls are unclear and unlabeled, making it necessary to poke around a bit to find the features you're looking for.
Bottom Line
Charity Navigator provides a lot of valuable information about tons of different charitable organizations, and it can be a great resource when you're trying to decide where to give. The app's interface could definitely be better, but once you find your way around, that's not so much of an issue. The app is free, and you do have to create a free account with your email address, full name, and a password in order to use some of the program features.
