Donating to Charity to help those in Haiti?

Donating to Charity to help those in Haiti?

Any time there is a disaster in the world, many of us look to see what we can do to help. For most of us, that is making a donation to an organization that will get the support, assistance, medical supplies and food to the area and people in need. Unfortunately this is also the time that the con-artists come out of the wood work. Fake charitys as well as those charitiys that only spend a small amount of the donations recieved actually supporting those in need. Already there are new ways to make donations to help thoses in Haiti. The American Red Cross is letting people donate $10, by texting on their phones! (Look to the bottom of this blog to see how to do this)

One of the easest ways to avoid a scam, is to follow the guidelines of the Federal Traid Commision.


FTC Charity Checklist
Thinking about donating to a charity? The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, recommends taking these precautions to ensure that your donation dollars benefit the people and organizations you want to help. They’re sensible practices whether you’re solicited by an organization’s employees, volunteers, or professional fundraisers by phone, mail, email, or in person.

Don’t be shy about asking who wants your money. Some charities hire professional fund­raisers for large-scale mailings, telephone drives, and other solicitations rather than use their own staff or volunteers, and then use a portion of the donations to pay the fundraiser’s fees. If you’re solicited for a donation, ask if the caller is a paid fundraiser, who they work for, and the percentage of your donation that will go to the charity and to the fundraiser. If you don’t get a clear answer — or if you don’t like the answer you get — consider donating to a different
organization.

Call the charity. Find out if the organization is aware of the solicitation and has authorized the use of its name. If not, you may be dealing with a scam artist. Ask for written information about the charity, including name, address, and telephone number.
Contact the office that regulates charitable organizations and charitable solicitations in your state to see if the charity or fundraiser must be registered. If so, check to make sure
that the company you’re talking to is registered. For a list of state offices, visit the National Associa­tion of State Charity Officials at www.nasconet.org/agencies. Your state office also can verify how much of your donation goes to the charity, and how much goes to fundraising and man­agement expenses. You also can check out charities with the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance (www.bbb.org/charity) and GuideStar (http://www.guidestar.org/).

Trust your gut — and check your records if you have any doubt about whether you’ve made a pledge or a contribution. Callers may try to trick you by thanking you for a pledge you didn’t make. If you don’t remember making the donation or don’t have a record of your pledge, resist the pressure to give. Be wary of charities that spring up overnight in connection with current events or natural disasters. They may make a compelling case for your money,
but as a practical matter, they probably don’t have the infrastructure to get your donation to the affected area or people.

Watch out for similar sounding names. Some phony charities use names that closely resemble those of respected, legitimate organizations. If you notice a small difference from the
name of the charity you intend to deal with, call the organization you know to check it out. Be cautious of promises of guaranteed sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a contribution. According to U.S. law, you never have to give a donation to be eligible to win a sweepstakes. Be wary of charities offering to send a courier or overnight delivery service to collect your donation immediately.

Know the difference between “tax exempt” and “tax deductible.” Tax exempt means the organization doesn’t have to pay taxes. Tax deductible means you can deduct your contribution on your federal income tax return.
Do not send or give cash donations. Cash can be lost or stolen.
For security and tax record purposes, it’s best to pay by credit card. If you’re thinking about
giving online, look for indicators that the site is secure, like a lock icon on the browser’s status bar or a URL that begins “https:” (the “s” stands for “secure”).
For more information about making your donations count, visit www.ftc.gov/charityfraud.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business
practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

It is great to give to help those so despratly in need, but make sure you are giving to those that will really help those in need.


American Red Cross Pledges Initial $1 Million to Haiti Relief

Send a $10 Donation by Texting ‘Haiti’ to 90999 -You can make a donation by calling 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish)