Alexandria-Based Charity Named Top In America: Forbes

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The season for holiday giving is here, and a new ranking from Forbes identifies Alexandria-based charity United Way Worldwide as the top in America for 2019.

The 21st annual Forbes Top Charity list ranked the top 100 U.S. charities based on the amount of private donations received in 2018. Collectively, the 100 largest charities pulled in an incredible $51.5 billion in donations, which is up 5 percent from the year before and accounts for 12 percent of the total money given to America’s 1 million-plus charity organizations in 2018.

In some cases, though, charity regulators find a disproportionate amount of received funds get sent to employees within the organization or professional fundraisers, instead of to the cause. For this reason, Forbes presents the rankings based on personal finances received.

"It’s quantitative, not qualitative," William Barrett wrote in a Forbes’ article explaining the selection process. "So we don’t pass judgment on the merits of a charity, although is past years we occasionally have excluded a charity for accounting we considered totally beyond the pale."

Here are the top charities in Alexandria that made the list:

United Way Worldwide: 1

• Private Donations: $3.3 billion
• Fundraising Efficiency: 90 percent
• Charitable Commitment: 85 percent

United Way Worldwide is a network of over 1,000 local affiliates seeking to improve the quality of life through education, financial stability and health. It serves over 40 countries and territories around the world. According to Forbes, the majority of donations come from paycheck deductions, and local affiliates choose the causes receiving their donations.

Salvation Army: 4

• Private Donations: $2 billion
• Fundraising Efficiency: 87 percent
• Charitable Commitment: 82 percent

Salvation Army is an international effort assisting communities around the world through relief, short-term care, and long-term growth programs. The charity evokes Christian values to "meet human need without discrimination."

Catholic Charities USA: 21

Founded as a way to address poverty in the U.S., this Catholic organization provides service to those in need and encourages churchgoers to do the same.

• Private Donations: $714 million
• Fundraising Efficiency: 88 percent
• Charitable Commitment: 88 percent

Good 360: 47

• Private Donations: $324 million
• Fundraising Efficiency: 99 percent
• Charitable Commitment: 99 percent

Good 360 helps nonprofits get items they need so they can focus their money on providing services. It has a particular focus of helping people and communities impacted by disasters.

Forbes’ list considered only organizations that received private donations of at least $146 million, according to Forbes. There was only one new charity to make the list for the first time: Ronald McDonald House Charities. The well-known organization ranked No. 98 with private contributions of $149 million.

Here the top 10 ranked charities in the United States:

1. United Way Worldwide: $3.3 billion in private donations
2. Feeding America: $2.8 billion in private donations
3. Task Force for Global Health: $2.6 billion in private donations
4. Salvation Army: $2 billion in private donations
5. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: $1.7 billion in private donations
6. American National Red Cross: $1.5 billion in private donations
7. Direct Relief: $1.4 billion in private donations
8. Habitat for Humanity International: $1.4 billion in private donations
9. YMCA of the USA: $1.1 billion in private donations
10. Americares Foundation: $1 billion in private donations

You can see the full list and read more about the rankings via Forbes.