Give to charity — but don't be a sucker

Don’t believe what you hear or read in a charity solicitation. Before you give, check them out yourself. Verify the claims.

“Take your time and be careful,” cautions the BBB’s Weiner. “There are lots of really good charities that need your help and with just a little bit of work, you can find them and give with confidence, knowing that your contribution is going to be used wisely.”

The Internet makes it easy to check out a charity:

• The BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance evaluates 1,100 charities.
• Charity Navigator rates the financial health of more than 5,000 of America's best-known charities.
• Guidestar lists 1.7 million non-profits that are eligible to accept tax-deductible contributions.
• Most states require charities to be registered or licensed. You can find a list of state charity regulators on The National Association of State Charity Officials Web site.

The Better Business Bureau rates charities on 20 standards covering finances, governance, oversight, effectiveness and fundraising. The BBB standards require at least 65 percent of the charity’s total expenses be spent on program services.

It’s interesting to note that 30 percent of the national charities contacted by the Wise Giving Alliance would not disclose some of the requested information. Groups on the BBB’s list of "declined to be evaluated or did not respond” include:  American Association of Police Officers, Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, Betty Ford Center, International Children’s Fund and National Breast Cancer Foundation.

While this does not mean those organizations are unethical or hiding something, in my book it raises a red flag any time a charity withholds information.

My two cents
I believe it’s important to give to charity. I also want to make sure my money goes to the cause and not to some fundraiser or con artist.  So I have a few simple rules.

• I will not make an instant donation based on a phone solicitation. I tell the caller they can send me literature to look at. I rarely get anything; they usually hang up.
• I do not give money to someone who knocks on my door, except the neighborhood kids collecting money for their school. With anyone else, I can’t tell if it’s legit or a scam.
• I do not respond to any e-mail solicitation that includes a “donate now” link. There’s no way I can tell if this is from the real charity or a clever phishing scam. If I give online, I go to the charity’s Web site myself by typing in the URL.

At the beginning of each year, my wife and I make a list of the charities we want to help and how much we want to give. That makes it easier to say no to any solicitation that does not fit into our plan.

For more information

• Charitable Donations: Give or Take?
• Tips on Police and Firefighter Organizations
• Public Safety Fund-Raising Appeals: Make Your Donations Count
• 10 Charities Overpaying their For-Profit Fundraisers
• 10 Inefficient Fundraisers

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