What's the best organization for which to donate money?

Portia, May I suggest this site. It helps many women connect and get valuable info. Hugs, Mazy

Check the Huntsman foundation in Utah.

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There is a website called "Charity Navigator" that evaluates and rates most of the organizations that raise money for charitable causes.  You can go there and look up specific organizations to see what they do with the money they receive.  The health-related charitable organizations are grouped into two categories: "medical research" and "diseases, disorders, & disciplines".  I don't know if some organizations are cross-referenced under both headings:  http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.categories&categoryid=5

My current favorite is the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  They've received a very high rating: http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=5001

Of course, as others have mentioned, you can always write a check to a specific hospital or cancer center and ask that the money be used for research.  Even then, though, you'll never know if that's how they used it.  I worked in biomedical sciences (in a health professions program) at a major research university for 25 years.  Most of the departments in our college received checks from people who wanted to donate money to "research".  Sometimes, the donors specified a particular area they were interested in ("cancer research," "genetic research," "research on fertility treatments," "vaccine research," etc.).  The donations were usually deposited in a "gifts" account, to keep that money separate from the funding that paid the general operating expenses of the departments (salaries, office supplies, utility bills, travel expenses).  But I think most people would have been disappointed to learn that their donation toward "cancer research" was spent on a case of plastic test tubes or several bottles of tissue culture medium or a carton of sterile syringes.  All those would have been honest-to-goodness expenses associated with "cancer research"; but those things look pretty mundane when listed on an expense account.

That's not meant to discourage anyone from donating money, of course.  It's just the reality of medical research funding, at the laboratory level.  My solution has been to find a well-known, well-regarded philanthropic agency, like BCRF, and trust that they will know where the money is needed most.

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In the city or state you live, find out about programs for cancer patients that provide rides,or help with medicines, I live in Texas and I like to help a Clinic where women pay based on their income,it is for undeserved patients.

I also work with NBCC, but my personal money goes to this Clinic,basically all doctors and RN  almost volunteers,they get paid very little.

All the big organizations get a lot of money,but rarely spend it in their communities.