Charities and NGOs in the Philippines
The Philippines has a vibrant civil-society sector built around nonstock, nonprofit corporations, foundations, and cooperatives operating across disaster preparedness and response (the country is one of the world's most disaster-prone), public health, education, child protection, indigenous rights, women's rights, anti-trafficking, environmental conservation, and faith-based humanitarian work. Whether you are searching for a comprehensive list of Philippine charities, a SEC nonstock nonprofit directory, a PCNC accredited NGO lookup, or a single verified Filipino nonprofit to donate to, GiveRadar consolidates official DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) registration and accreditation data, PCNC accreditation, BIR donee-institution status, contact and website details, news coverage, and an independent integrity score for every Philippine NGO. Read about how GiveRadar works before you give.
How charities and NGOs are registered in the Philippines
Philippine nonprofits incorporate as nonstock, nonprofit corporations with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the Revised Corporation Code (Republic Act 11232). To allow Philippine donors to claim a tax deduction, an organization must be designated a Donee Institution by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), which typically requires accreditation by the Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC), an independent body that evaluates governance, transparency, and program effectiveness. PCNC accreditation is a strong public-trust signal and is required for the highest level of donor tax benefits. Cooperatives register separately with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), and faith-based organizations may register with relevant denominational umbrellas in addition to SEC.
Major causes and well-known Philippine NGOs
The Philippine nonprofit landscape is broad and disaster-resilient:
- Disaster relief and preparedness: the Philippine Red Cross, Caritas Philippines (NASSA), ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, and Operation Blessing Philippines.
- Education: Bato Balani Foundation, Synergeia Foundation, Teach for the Philippines, and Center for Educational Measurement.
- Children and youth: SOS Children's Villages Philippines, Childhope Philippines, Save the Children Philippines, and Tahanan Sta. Luisa.
- Health: Philippine Cancer Society, Marie Stopes Philippines, and the Asian Hospital Foundation.
- Indigenous and rural communities: Tebtebba Foundation, Assisi Development Foundation, and Philippine Misereor Partnership.
- Environment and climate: Haribon Foundation, World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines, and Pawikan Conservation Project networks.
- Anti-trafficking and women's rights: International Justice Mission Philippines, Visayan Forum Foundation, and the Womens Crisis Center.
Compare two organizations side by side with our charity comparison tool, or browse best disaster relief charities in the Philippines and best education charities in the Philippines to narrow by cause.
How to evaluate a Philippine NGO before donating
The Philippines has a deep nonprofit sector with relatively strong third-party transparency benchmarks. Things to check before giving to any Philippine NGO:
- SEC registration: every legitimate Philippine nonprofit has an SEC registration number.
- BIR Donee Institution status: required for full donor tax benefits, including the 100% deduction tier for accredited NGOs.
- PCNC accreditation: the strongest independent transparency signal for Philippine NGOs.
- Audited annual reports: reputable larger NGOs publish them online.
- Sanctions and watchlists: use our free charity checker tool to cross-reference every Philippine NGO against OFAC, EU, and UN watchlists automatically.
Each Philippine NGO profile on GiveRadar combines DSWD registration and accreditation, BIR donee status, PCNC accreditation, governance, and third-party signals into a single 0-100 integrity score. Read our integrity score methodology for the full weighting.
Philippines NGO explorer: browse, filter, compare
This page works as a Philippines NGO explorer: every registered Filipino nonprofit we hold data on, ranked and filterable by region, cause area, BIR donee status, PCNC accreditation, presence of a website, and size. Use the filters on the left to narrow by category (disaster relief, education, children, health, indigenous, environment, anti-trafficking, religion, advocacy, and more), and the search bar to find a specific organization by name. We refresh the directory as we ingest new DSWD accreditation data and enrich existing records with contact details, websites, programs, and news coverage. To compare Filipino giving against other markets, browse all countries or jump straight to disaster relief charities globally.
Donating to charities in the Philippines
Most Philippine NGOs accept GCash, Maya, credit-card, and bank-transfer donations directly through their websites. Filipino donors can claim a deduction for donations to BIR-recognized Donee Institutions, capped per fiscal rules; PCNC-accredited Donee Institutions unlock the highest donor tax benefit. International donors typically give through US 501(c)(3) intermediaries (such as Give2Asia, Ayala Foundation USA, or PCNC-linked partners), UK fiscal sponsors, or platforms like GlobalGiving. GiveRadar links to each NGO's official donation channel where available and flags fundraising pages that look unverified. For a structured donor walkthrough, read our donor due-diligence guide.