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ROG Research Reports

Give Confidently with Return on Good

Return on Good researches, evaluates and grades potential nonprofits so you can feel confident they are an ideal match for your charitable giving. Learn more about Return on Good by meeting our professional, creative and compassionate team.

The Research You Need to Give Smarter

When you give of your hard-earned money, you want your gifts to go to nonprofits that will make an enduring impact with them. But how do you find those right-fit organizations for your charitable giving? And how can you be sure they are who they say they are and will do what they say they’re going to do with your money? 

By counting on Return on Good to provide you with the research you need to guide your decision-making. 

Return on Good Research Reports are created by our team of expert researchers. They take a deep dive into potential charities to investigate how they’re using resources and the impact they’re making with them. 

Our research includes:

  • Meeting with the charity’s leadership, including founders, executives and volunteers, when possible
  • Exploring public ratings using resources like GuideStar and Charity Navigator
  • Reviewing online and print collateral, including their website, social media, marketing materials and annual reports
  • Probing tax documents, audit reports and other legal records
  • Scrutinizing online forums and social media to see what people are saying about them

Patriot Service Dogs

Patriot Service Dogs – Strategic Giving Charity Research Review.  ROG Rating: “A” Charity, “Strong” Fit for Jane. Sample.

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Appalachian Bear Rescue

Appalachian Bear Rescue – Strategic Giving Charity Research Review. ROG Rating: “A” Charity, “Strong” Fit for Emily, Sample.

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Alice Cooper Teen Centers

Alice Cooper Solid Rock Teen Centers- Research Review. ROG Rating: “A” Charity, “Strong” Fit for Sample Family.

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Charity: Water

Charity: Water – Strategic Giving Charity Research Review. ROG Rating: “A” Charity, “Good” Fit for Sample Family.

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Mary's Meals

Mary’s Meals – Strategic Giving Charity Research Review. ROG Rating: “A” Charity, Strong Fit for Sample Family.

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Mercy Chefs

Mercy Chefs – Strategic Giving Charity Research Review. ROG Rating: “A” Charity, “Strong” Fit for Sample Family.

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Reasons to Be Cheerful

Reasons to Be Cheerful – Strategic Charity Research Review – ROG Rating: “A” Charity, “Good” Fit for Doug, Sample.

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Find the Right Fit for Your Charitable Giving

Once we’ve completed our research, we see how each organization lines up with your philanthropic values, mission and goals – the information we’ve gathered on the front-end of the strategic giving process. We then make a statement of the best-fit nonprofits for your charitable giving. Here’s the breakdown of our recommendations:

  • Strong Fit: They make the mark on strategy and perfectly match your values and mission
  • Good Fit: They’re an excellent investment and match your values, but may not be the best fit for your top investment
  • Possible Fit: They merit investment, but need more investigation to determine a match to your giving goals
  • Not a Fit: They might be a good investment for others, but based on what you’ve told us, not for you.

Read a few Sample Research Reports

Return on Good Ratings are Not For Sale

So that you can feel confident in your giving, your Return on Good Research Report includes ratings for each nonprofit we’ve researched for you. Here’s what each rating means: 

  • A: Top-tier charities with high return on good and a unique and unduplicated impact
  • B: Excellent investment charities that might be the path to next-level giving
  • C: Charities with improvements to make but may be a great investment if your gift addresses any key concerns
  • D: Charities that require substantial consideration and conversations with their leadership before you give

While we often work directly with charities in the research process, rest assured that no charity can buy a Return on Good rating. We make it clear from the start that our final evaluation cannot be influenced. In fact, when we discover strategic gaps, we share that information with charities so they have the opportunity to improve. When they make changes for the better, we update our rating. 

Are you ready to take your charitable giving to the next level? Get started by contacting us for a no-cost evaluation of one charity.

Request an Evaluation