This time of year might put you in the giving mood. Luckily for you, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving is known as Giving Tuesday, “the national day of giving.†You might be interested in giving to charity on this day. However, it’s important to use caution when engaging in philanthropy.
The Better Business Bureau measures charities against 20 standards in areas such as governance, financial management, and privacy protection. If you’re thinking of making a donation, you can visit ny.give.org for reports on roughly 11,000 charities.
The Metro New York Better Business Bureau offers these tips:
- Don’t feel pressured to give on the spot, whether from a telemarketer, a door-to-door solicitor or a friend’s post on Facebook. It’s usually safer to give directly to your selected charity after checking them out yourself.
- Review websites to get basics. Details about a charity’s mission, program, and finances should be available on its site.
- Get the facts behind emotional appeals. Before you give, get specifics about how, when and where the charity makes a difference.
- Look at the entire picture. By themselves, spending ratios are not a good measure of charity value. Better Business Bureau Charity Reports at ny.give.org offer a full picture of a charity’s practices.
- Don’t assume every soliciting organization is tax exempt as a charity. You can check an organization’s tax status at www.irs.gov/app/eos and its New York State charity registration at charitiesnys.com.