The BBB Wise Giving Alliance (the Alliance) helps donors make informed giving decisions and advances high standards of conduct among organizations that solicit contributions from the public. The Alliance was formed in 2001 through the merger of the National Charities Information Bureau with the Council of Better Business Bureaus’ Foundation (which housed the Philanthropic Advisory Service.) The merger partners offer over a century of combined experience in charity evaluation. The Alliance produces in-depth evaluative reports on national charities based on comprehensive Standards for Charity Accountability and publishes a quarterly magazine, the Wise Giving Guide. National charities that meet the standards can apply to participate in the Alliance’s National Charity Seal program.

The BBB Wise Giving Alliance produces reports on nationally soliciting charitable organizations. About one-third of the BBBs in the United States report on regionally soliciting charities.

The Alliance does not rank charities but rather seeks to assist donors in making informed judgments about charities soliciting their support. The mission of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance is to encourage greater public confidence and trust in the charitable sector. By producing charity evaluation reports based on comprehensive Standards for Charity Accountability, promoting a seal that signals charity commitment to ethical practices, speaking out on accountability at meetings of charities and others in the sector, and advising donors on responding wisely to charity appeals, the Alliance helps advance high standards of conduct among charities and informed giving by contributors.