It isn’t wise to trust a stranger with anything of value, and charities are no exception. The most basic way to investigate a charity’s legitimacy is to research it–by checking the Internet, looking for mentions of your chosen organization in the news, asking for pamphlets detailing the charity’s purpose and goals, and so on. In addition, there are several web sites where you can check a charity’s legitimacy (or even just how well it’s putting donations to use).

If the organization doesn’t make its purpose clear or tell you what the money you give is actually being used for, there may be cause for concern. A legitimate charity should always be willing to provide you with more information and should never try to obtain donations by pressuring or intimidating you, so any representative of a charity who is vague or aggressive is highly suspect. The bottom line: it’s your money that’s going to the charity, so if you don’t feel comfortable with an organization you’ve chosen, you can always find another better suited to your needs and interests.

Tags: charities, philanthropy