Hurricane Matthew has spiraled through the Caribbean and up the South East coast of the United States. You have seen the devastation on TV and want to help, but you want your hard earned money to go to the people who need it. Where do you find honest reviews on charities?
Consumer Reports is a name we all know and trust. Last year in December the magazine published a list of best and worst charities. They also advise using the following websites that tell you where your charity dollar really goes and how far it goes when it gets there:
BBB Wise Giving Alliance lets you search a particular charity from the home page. The website defines the 20 standards the BBB uses to rate charities. It gives you an A to Z national charity report list and a state by state list of BBB offices you can contact to inquire about local charities.
Charity Navigator offers a list of fake charities right on their home page. The home page also has links to different types of charities, such as animals, education, environment, and many more. They have a link to featured charities too, in case you want to donate, but don't know where you want to send your money.
Charity Watch, not only rates different charities, it exposes fraudulent groups. Check out their charity hall of shame. Through hot topics, tips, and articles, Charity Watch gives you the tools to investigate charities yourself.
Guide Star offers a free basic charity search and an upgraded premium package. You also can find a group's IRS Form 900 at Guide Star and read or write charitable organization reviews. Guide Star claims it is the world's largest source of information on nonprofit organizations.
Consumer Reports warns you to watch for charities with similar sounding names. While they both may be legitimate, very often a fraudulent charity purposely chooses a name close to an upstanding charity to fool people into giving to them. If a charity phones you and won't give a tax ID and can't provide details about how donations are used, it is probably a scam charity. If they push you to donate right away or wire money, again it is probably a scam. When they thank you for a donation you never made in order to convince you that you've already donated, it is a scam.
If you are raising funds for your charitable organization, please contact us. Gift of Compassion can help.