08/26/2026
Before donating money to a charitable organization, do you evaluate whether it’s worthy of your support?
You might want to.
Out of 1.6 million registered U.S. charities (501c3) in the U.S., fewer than 250,000 are thoroughly vetted by independent watchdogs for ethical management, strong financial health and a proven giving back track record.
Fortunately, independent organizations like Candid (formerly GuideStar) capture key data separating high performing charities from poorly managed or even fraudulent ones. They can tell you where the money comes from, where it goes and why it matters. Objective data will help you make smart decisions.
Candid, a leading watchdog with a database of 1.9 million charities, awards a “Platinum Seal of Transparency” to only 12,000 of its registered nonprofits, charities and grantmakers. That’s a stratospheric 0.6%.
One of these is Operation Hat Trick (OHT), a small but mighty 501c3 helping veterans overcome mental health challenges. (Full disclosure: I’ve had the pleasure of serving on OHT’s Board for 15 years).
Dot Sheehan, its colorful founder, reinvented the charity fundraising model to be as ethically responsible as possible.
Instead of raising money through donations, she created an innovative retail apparel model with 500+ American universities and athletic programs. Hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts (and more) are co-branded with each school’s sports team logo + the OHT logo. Together, they create meaningful local impact for veterans.
OHT has helped veterans in 44 of America’s 50 states. It’s in the 0.1 % among all charities when it comes to ethical operational performance (source: Candid/GuideStar).
While OHT is small, it isn’t small potatoes. The organization gets 10% of all revenue generated from athletic program sales. That’s added up to nearly $7 million donated from gross sales of $70 million.
They are truly worthy of your support.
veteran support • nonprofit transparency • charitable giving • nonprofit impact • veteran recovery • mission-driven giving
