How can I check if an Afghanistan charity is legitimate?
Check six things: legal identity, independent registration records, recent financial filings, named programs, evidence tied to specific work, and a secure official payment path. A moving video or a large follower count is not a substitute for those checks.
1. Verify the legal identity
Find the organization’s legal name, country of registration, tax or charity number, physical or mailing contact, and responsible leadership. Search an official government database using the identifier, not only the public-facing name. For a U.S. charity, use the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool.
2. Read the financial record carefully
Look for recent Form 990 filings, annual reports, or other required disclosures. Distinguish revenue, expenses, assets, and program results. A total raised is not automatically the amount spent on one program.
3. Test the program claims
A credible program explains what happens between donation and delivery: who makes decisions, where goods are purchased, what is delivered or built, how completion is checked, and what evidence is retained. Be cautious with lifetime beneficiary totals that cannot be reconciled or deduplicated.
4. Protect yourself and the people shown
Donate only through the organization’s official domain or another verified payment channel. Read its privacy and refund policies. Responsible documentation should prove the work without requiring vulnerable people to surrender unnecessary personal details or dignity.
How Famidi applies the checklist
Famidi publishes its EIN, legal status, programs, filing links, donation policy, privacy policy, project archive, and field evidence. It also names the limits of its data—for example, archive coverage is not presented as a lifetime people-reached total.
Check the underlying information.
Editorial standard: This page is reviewed by a person, sourced to Famidi records or authoritative references, and revised when the program or underlying guidance changes. It does not replace legal, tax, medical, or financial advice.