A List of 10 Top Charities

Children and Family

Save the Children

The mission: To eliminate the most dire problems—poverty, disease, illiteracy, and hunger—that children face in the United States and internationally.

Why it stands out: Few nonprofits are this comprehensive in their approach to Big Problems. Save the Children works to break the cycle of poverty by delivering direct assistance, like food and medicine. It also provides access to education and financial tools, such as savings programs that give families the opportunity to achieve greater stability. A recent World Bank study found that students who participated in the group’s early-education program in Mozambique were 24 percent more likely to enroll in primary school. As a result, the African nation is introducing preschools nationwide based on the charity’s model.

Your money at work: A $70 donation provides education to a girl in Afghanistan for one year, paying for a year’s worth of school fees, uniforms, books, and other supplies.