Charities and/or their hired call centers often have to register with a Secretary of State or other regulator before soliciting from state residents. Some states handily publish periodic reports listing business names and the expected schedules of call campaigns. As to outside evaluation, you might turn to watchdog groups like Charity Navigator.

That said, the first responder "hero charity" is a well-worn front for many fraudulent operations. The "female" side of the ruse presents endless variants of the "breast cancer fund".