The Better Business Bureau is reminding everyone the importance of researching charities before donating with five tips to protect yourself during this season of giving.
Since 2012, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving is known as #GivingThursday, a national campaign of donating to those in need.
BBB Wise Giving Alliance evaluated charities using 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. They offer five tips to ensure your donations aren't falling into the hands of scammers:
- Watch out for copycats. When charities seek support for the same cause, their names are often similar. Before you give, be sure you have the exact name of the charity to avoid a case of mistaken identity.
- Avoid on-the-spot donation decisions from unfamiliar organizations. The holidays bring a higher frequency of donation requests outside public locations. Don’t succumb to pressure to make an immediate giving decision. Responsible organizations will welcome your gift tomorrow as much as they do today.
- Be wary of emotional appeals. Marketers have been known to exploit the holidays to make emotional pleas to donors. Always research to verify that your selected charity operates ethically.
- Avoid charities that don’t disclose. Although participation is voluntary, charities that don’t disclose any of the requested information to BBB WGA raise a critical red flag for donors. Visit Give.org to find out if your selected charity is nondisclosure.
- Rely on standards-based evaluations. Charities can demonstrate they are trustworthy by agreeing to in-depth evaluations such as the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. Get free access to charity reports at Give.org.
For more information, visit watchyourbuck.com/givingtuesday
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