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Charities you can support

Once you set up your Giving Account, you can start supporting charities right away.

Any IRS-qualified public charity is eligible

The Giving Account lets you support just about any 501(c)(3) public charity. That should include all the charities you support today, with only a few exceptions, such as private foundations. Our online process makes giving easy. The minimum grant is just $50, and you can support as many charities as you like—with more flexibility and better bookkeeping than ever.

How do you know your favorite charity is eligible?

Just find out if it's a 501(c)(3) public charity by checking the charity's website, Guidestar or by calling them directly to ask.

What exactly does 501(c)(3) mean?

501(c)(3) refers to the tax-exempt status of a nonprofit organization as qualified under IRS rules. Because 501(c)(3) organizations are charitable in nature, they are allowed to receive tax-deductible donations from donors like you.

There are different kinds of 501(c)(3) organizations, public charities and private foundations. Fidelity Charitable can generally only make grants to public charities, which includes most 501(c)(3)s — anything from your alma mater to your local arts council. Fidelity Charitable cannot support certain supporting organizations or most private foundations.

Supporting international charities

You have two options for using your Giving Account to support causes outside the U.S. You can recommend a grant to an American charity that works overseas, or you can recommend a grant to an American intermediary charity that will, in turn, make a grant to your preferred organization for an additional fee.

The following intermediary charities specialize in various regions of the world, and they can help you support the causes you care about.

CAF America

Focus: Worldwide

Learn more about CAF America

Give2Asia

Focus: Asia-Pacific

Learn more about Give2Asia

GlobalGiving

Focus: Worldwide

Learn more about GlobalGiving

KBFUS

Focus: Europe and Africa

Learn more about KBFUS

The Resource Foundation

Focus: Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean

Learn more about The Resource Foundation

How do I know if one of these intermediary charities works with my preferred organization?

Start by reaching out to the intermediary charities that work in your region of interest, and ask if they work with the charity you have in mind. Then compare fees and timing considerations.

Do intermediary charities charge a fee?

Yes. Please reach out to them directly to find out more.

What if I want to support an international cause but don’t have a specific charity in mind?

If you have a region of interest, talk to the intermediary charities that work in that part of the world. They can help you choose a local organization that would benefit from your support. But, keep in mind that lots of U.S.-based organizations do meaningful work overseas, so you don't necessarily have to support an international charity to support causes abroad.

Find a charity

What’s different about the process of donating to an intermediary charity?

For starters, it’s a good idea to contact the intermediary charity and find out if it works with the organization you have in mind. Secondly, intermediary charities charge a fee for their international grantmaking diligence and associated costs. Finally, while granting to an intermediary is essentially the same as any other U.S.-based charity, you may want to specify a recommended use for the funds.

For example, you can recommend a $10,000 grant to Give2Asia and specify “Cambodian Center for the Protection of Childrens Rights to support their walk-in center for homeless youth,” or simply “for Cambodian Center for the Protection of Children's Rights, where it's needed most.”

Podcast

What do charities want? A nonprofit perspective.

Confused about how to make the most impact with your Giving Account? Or how to know what to give or how often to give? Hear directly from an executive director of a nonprofit to find out what nonprofits need most from donors.

Charity research tools

Get the tools you need to evaluate charities and feel good about your support.

Start researching charities

Ready to get started?

Establishing your Giving Account is easy and only takes 5 minutes.

All you need is your Social Security number and, when you're ready, a $5,000 minimum donation.

Open a Giving Account

Or call us at 1-800-262-6039