Charities and NGOs in Jordan
Jordan has an active nonprofit sector built around charitable societies (jamaiyat khayriya), nonprofit companies, and international NGOs operating across refugee response (Jordan hosts large Syrian, Iraqi, and Palestinian refugee populations), public health, education, women's empowerment, child protection, environment in the Jordan Valley and Wadi Rum, and economic livelihoods. Whether you are searching for a comprehensive list of Jordanian charities, a Ministry of Social Development NGO directory, a Jordan civil society lookup, or a single verified Jordanian nonprofit to donate to, GiveRadar consolidates official registration data, financial information, news coverage, and an independent integrity score for every Jordanian NGO. Read about how GiveRadar works before you give.
How charities and NGOs are registered in Jordan
Jordanian charitable societies register with the Ministry of Social Development under the Societies Law No. 51 of 2008 (as amended). Nonprofit companies register with the Companies Control Department at the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Royal NGOs (operating under royal patronage, like the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization or the Royal Health Awareness Society) operate under specific charters. Tax exemption is granted by the Income and Sales Tax Department on application; only tax-exempt charitable societies can issue receipts that qualify for donor tax-deductibility. Foreign donations are subject to additional ministerial approval requirements.
Major causes and well-known Jordanian NGOs
The Jordanian nonprofit sector blends royal charities, established civil-society organizations, and major refugee-response actors:
- Refugee response: agencies operating in Zaatari, Azraq, and host communities in partnership with UNHCR, plus Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organization, Caritas Jordan, and Tkiyet Um Ali.
- Royal NGOs: King Hussein Foundation, Princess Basma Center for Disabled Children, Jordan River Foundation, and Royal Health Awareness Society.
- Health: King Hussein Cancer Foundation, Princess Basma Center, Royal Medical Services partner foundations, and Mentor Arabia.
- Children and family: SOS Children's Villages Jordan, Save the Children Jordan, Plan International Jordan, and Madrasati Initiative.
- Women's empowerment: Jordanian Women's Union, Sadaqa, and Mizan Law Group for Human Rights.
- Environment: Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), the Aqaba Environment Society, and EcoHikers.
- Education: King Abdullah II Fund for Development, Jordan Education for Employment, and Madrasati.
Compare two organizations side by side with our charity comparison tool, or browse best disaster relief charities in Jordan and best health charities in Jordan to narrow by cause.
How to evaluate a Jordanian charity before donating
Jordan has solid baseline regulation but uneven transparency, so donor diligence matters. Things to check before giving to any Jordanian charity:
- Ministry of Social Development registration: every legitimate Jordanian charitable society has a current registration certificate.
- Royal patronage or royal NGO status: a strong governance signal in the Jordanian context.
- Tax-exemption certificate: required for donor tax-deductibility under Jordanian law.
- Audited annual reports: reputable larger Jordanian charities publish them online.
- International partnerships: partners of UN agencies, USAID, ECHO, FCDO, or major foundations have usually passed vendor due-diligence checks.
- Sanctions and watchlists: use our free charity checker tool to cross-reference every Jordanian charity against OFAC, EU, and UN watchlists automatically.
Each Jordanian charity profile on GiveRadar combines Ministry registration, tax-exemption status, financials, governance, and third-party signals into a single 0-100 integrity score. Read our integrity score methodology for the full weighting.
Jordan charity explorer: browse, filter, compare
This page works as a Jordan charity explorer: every registered Jordanian charitable society we hold data on, ranked and filterable by governorate, cause area, financial transparency, presence of a website, and size. Use the filters on the left to narrow by category (refugee, royal foundation, health, children, women, environment, education, religion, advocacy, and more), and the search bar to find a specific organization by name. The directory updates daily as we ingest new registration data and enrich existing records with contact details, financials, programs, and news coverage. To compare Jordanian giving against other markets, browse all countries or jump straight to disaster relief charities globally.
Donating to charities in Jordan
Most Jordanian charities accept card, bank-transfer, and JoMoPay donations directly through their websites. International donors typically give through US 501(c)(3) intermediaries (such as American Friends of King Hussein Cancer Foundation or other royal-NGO partners), UK fiscal sponsors, or platforms like GlobalGiving. Jordanian tax-resident donors can claim limited deductions for donations to qualifying organizations. GiveRadar links to each charity's official donation channel where available and flags fundraising pages that look unverified. For a structured donor walkthrough, read our donor due-diligence guide.