BBB offers tips on charitable giving

FROM THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU

The Better Business Bureau is offering the following tips for charitable giving:

■ Get the charity’s exact name. With so many charities in existence, mistaken identity is a common problem. Thousands of charities have “cancer” in their name, but no connection with one another.

■ Resist pressure. Resist giving on the spot, whether from a telemarketer or door-to-door solicitor.

■ Be wary of heart-wrenching appeals. What matters is what the charity is doing to help.

■ Press for specifics. If the charity says it’s helping the homeless, for example, ask how and where it’s working.

■ Check websites for basics. A charity’s mission, program and finances should be available on its site. If not, check for a report at www.give.org.

■ Check with state officials – In many states, charities are required to register, usually with the office of the attorney general, before soliciting. Visit www.nasconet.org/documents/u-s-charity-offices/ for the relevant office in your state.

■ Don’t assume that every soliciting organization is tax exempt as a charity. You can readily check an organization’s tax status at www.irs.gov/app/eos.

■ Telephone appeals. Never give your credit card number or other personal financial information to unknown callers.

■ Ask who’s calling – a professional solicitor or an employee of the charity? If the call is from a telemarketing company, ask what percentage of your gift the charity will receive.

■ Get the name straight. Many organizations raising money for the same cause have names similar enough to confuse donors, sometimes intentionally.

■ Ask for specifics about the charity, if it’s unfamiliar. The caller should be able to tell you the organization’s purpose, whether contributions are tax deductible, how a gift will be used and how much of it will go to the charity’s program. Better still, ask for written information, read it carefully and check whether your local BBB has information on the charity.

■ Resist pressure. A responsible charity respects your right to make a thoughtful decision.

■ Opt out of future calls, if you wish. The national Do Not Call Registry does not generally apply to charity calls, but you have the right to ask a telemarketer not to call again on behalf of a particular charity.

Disaster relief donations

In the wake natural disasters, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance offers the following tips to help Americans decide where to direct donations:

■ Be cautious when giving online. Be cautious about online giving, especially in response to spam messages and emails that claim to link to a relief organization. If you want to give to a charity involved in relief efforts, go directly to the charity’s website. In response to Katrina, Rita and the Asian tsunamis, the FBI and others raised concerns about websites and organizations that were created overnight, allegedly to help victims.

■ Rely on expert opinion when it comes to evaluating a charity. Be cautious when relying on third-party recommendations such as bloggers or other websites, as they may not have fully researched the relief organizations they list. The public can go to www.bbb.org/charity to research charities and relief organizations and verify that they are accredited by the BBB and meet the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

■ Be wary of claims that 100 percent of donations will assist relief victims. Despite what an organization might claim, charities have fund raising and administrative costs. If a charity claims 100 percent of collected funds will be assisting victims, the truth is that the organization is still probably incurring fund raising and administrative expenses.

■ Find out if the charity has an on-the-ground presence in the impacted areas. Unless the charity already has staff in the aff ected areas, it may be difficult to bring in new aid workers to provide assistance quickly. See if the charity’s website clearly describes what the charity can do to address immediate needs.

■ Find out if the charity is providing direct aid or raising money for other groups. Some charities may be raising money to pass along to relief organizations. If so, you may want to consider “avoiding the middleman” and giving directly to those that have a presence in the region.

■ Gifts of clothing, food or other in-kind donations. Food and clothing drives may not be the quickest way to help those in need. Ask the charity about its transportation and distribution plans. Be wary of those who are not experienced in disaster relief assistance.

The Better Business Bureau is a nonprofit, business-supported organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Visit bbb.org for more information.