Best poverty & economic development charities
12 poverty & economic development charities, ranked by rating. Every rating, EIN and filing was checked in October 2026.
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Goodwill Industries International
Runs thrift stores whose revenue funds job training, placement and other employment services for people facing barriers to work.
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Village Enterprise
Helps people in extreme poverty start small businesses through cash grants, business training and savings groups.
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GiveDirectly
Provides direct cash transfers to people living in extreme poverty, allowing them to decide how best to improve their lives.
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Heifer International
Works to end hunger and poverty through sustainable community development by providing livestock and training.
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Oxfam International
Works to end poverty and injustice through advocacy, development programs, and emergency response in over 90 countries.
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One Acre Fund
Supplies smallholder farmers with seed and fertilizer on credit plus training, helping them grow more food and earn more.
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Opportunity International
Provides small loans, savings accounts and training to entrepreneurs and farmers living in poverty.
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BRAC
Empowers people and communities in situations of poverty, illiteracy, disease, and social injustice through microfinance and development programs.
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Kiva
Expands financial access to help underserved communities thrive through crowdfunded microloans.
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United Way Worldwide
Network of local United Ways that raise and direct money to community programs in education, financial stability and health.
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Food For The Poor
Provides food, housing, clean water and medical aid to people living in poverty in the Caribbean and Latin America.
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Grameen Foundation
Enables the poor, especially women, to create a world without poverty through microfinance and technology solutions.
How to judge poverty & economic development charities
GiveWell evaluates global poverty charities more rigorously than any other organization — start there. For US-focused poverty work, look at outcomes beyond "people served": income gains, employment retention, housing stability six and twelve months out. Be skeptical of organizations that emphasize emotional storytelling over outcome data, and of "sponsor a child" models that often spend significant overhead on photo-driven communications.
What these charities do
Poverty alleviation charities work through a range of strategies: direct cash transfers, microfinance, vocational training, agricultural support, and community-development grants. Some of the most effective are GiveWell-recommended cash-transfer organizations that hand money directly to people in extreme poverty, letting recipients decide what they need most. Others build long-term capacity through skills training, microloans for small enterprises, and partnerships with local development organizations.
- Unconditional cash transfers to people living below the extreme-poverty line
- Microfinance loans for small-scale entrepreneurs, especially women
- Vocational training, skills-building, and job placement programs
- Agricultural support: improved seeds, livestock, irrigation, market access
- Policy advocacy on debt relief, fair trade, and economic justice
Ways to help beyond a donation
- Direct, unrestricted donations are the most useful — they let charities deploy funds where need is greatest
- Monthly recurring gifts smooth out cash flow for charities serving volatile regions
- Sponsor a specific community or program rather than an individual (sponsorship-of-individuals models often have higher overhead)
- Fund-match campaigns: many poverty charities run year-end matching drives that double your impact
- Use Kiva to make a microloan — your funds return to you and can be re-loaned
Frequently asked
What is the highest-rated poverty & economic development charity?
Among the 12 poverty & economic development charities in our directory, Goodwill Industries International and Village Enterprise share the highest Charity Navigator score, 100%. Ratings checked October 2026.
How many poverty & economic development charities have a 4-star rating?
11 of the 12 poverty & economic development charities we list hold Charity Navigator's top rating of 4 stars. Each charity's page shows its exact score, its EIN and its recent Form 990 financials.
How do I choose a poverty & economic development charity?
GiveWell evaluates global poverty charities more rigorously than any other organization — start there. For US-focused poverty work, look at outcomes beyond "people served": income gains, employment retention, housing stability six and twelve months out. Be skeptical of organizations that emphasize emotional storytelling over outcome data, and of "sponsor a child" models that often spend significant overhead on photo-driven communications.
How we rank: GiveWell and Animal Charity Evaluators picks come first, then charities by Charity Navigator's overall score. Financials come from each charity's IRS Form 990, via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. More on our method.