After Black Friday and Cyber Monday, shoppers get to continue enjoying the holiday spirit with Giving Tuesday. Each year, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving is designated as the day to research and donate to charitable organizations.
Better Business Bureau encourages you to give wisely on Tuesday and all year long by researching charities at the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, www.give.org. Charities are reviewed based on 20 holistic BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. With this information you can be confident that the charity is trustworthy and aligns with the causes that are important to you.
BBB offers the following advice for donating to a charitable cause, any time of year:
Double check the name of the organization. Charities that support similar causes may have similar names. If you know the exact name of the charity you’d like to support, you can avoid sending a donation based on mistaken identity.
Give on-the-spot donations only if you know the charity. Charities, actual and sham, are present in many high-traffic, public locations during the holiday season. Don’t feel pressured to give right away. Take down information about the charity, so you can do your own research and give once you are convinced of the charity’s standards.
Causes that connect with us emotionally should inspire us to give. However, be wary of the emotional appeal. Balance it with sound research to make sure your donation is put to the best use.
Avoid charities that don’t openly disclose information about how they use the money they receive. Disclosure to review at sites like Give.org is voluntary. However, if you can’t find the information you seek by researching, then it could be a red flag that the charity is not using their donations wisely or is a scam.
Keep your identity and finances safe by never giving your personal or financial information to unverified charities.
Never send cash or wire money to a charity. You can create a record for tax purposes by using a check or credit card for your donation. To find out which organizations are eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions, visit www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/.
The holidays are a great time to think about the ways you’ve helped others all year long and how you can continue to help others. For more tips on holiday gift buying and charitable giving, visit www.bbb.org/holiday-helper/.
Erin T. Dodge, BBB editor
