WASHINGTON — Charities receive most of their yearly contributions during the holiday season, when many of us open up our hearts and wallets. But are you sure where your money is going?
“Do your homework,” says Susan Cooney, founder of Givelocity, a shared giving website that launches Dec. 3. “Especially when it comes to learning more about a charity that you are interested in supporting.
Cooney says recent publicity of charity scams have scared many donors. “People don’t know where to give or they are uncomfortable giving, they don’t give or they give less.”
Cooney hopes our generous nation will prevail and offers suggestions on how to donate wisely.
Go to the charity’s website. “You start to explore,” says Cooney. “How they present themselves, what do they say about their programs and how they would use their funds. Are they a registered 501c(3) organization?”
She also points to a couple of helpful websites like Charity Navigator, Guidestar and GreatNon-Profits.org to find out more about your charity of choice.
And don’t forget social media either, Cooney says, you can find a lot of donor feedback on Facebook pages.
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