How can I find out about a charitable organization’s political or religious views?

While some charities are extremely open about their religious or political agendas, others may be more subtle about their mission. If you want to know whether or not a nonprofit group will support your ideals, it’s worth doing some research to learn more about the group’s background.

Many of America’s largest nonprofits are Christian-based, including the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, Catholic Charities, and World Vision, to name just a few. A charitable organization’s religious values can affect the organization’s operation in several ways.

Some of these groups make their views on various social issues clear on their websites. The Salvation Army, for instance, states that they do not believe homosexual conduct is appropriate; however, they are intolerant of abuse and are willing to accept homosexuals who wish to use their services. It’s worth weighing up your own views in comparison to theirs when deciding to make a donation or volunteer to help. To learn the rest of the Salvation Army’s position statements, visit their website for more detailed information.

Many religious groups also reserve a percentage of their funds for religious activities, providing their recipients with spiritual services and materials in addition to basic humanitarian aid. If this is something that you want to know about before donating, check out the nonprofit’s annual report, or send the group an email about it.

Most nonprofits do not have overt political agendas, but if you want to know more about a nonprofit leader’s political leanings, you can often find out if he or she has made donations to a political party or candidate through the Huffington Post Fundrace Donation Tracker. However, keep in mind that this doesn’t necessarily mean that the entire organization will reflect the leader’s own political views. If you believe in an organization’s mission and work, other factors shouldn’t get in the way.