Female VO: Do you get calls asking you to donate to charity? Here are five tips to make sure your contributions are put to good use.
One: Ask for details about the charity: its legal name, address and phone number. Then use the Internet or the phonebook to contact the organization directly and make a donation.
Two: When someone asks you for a donation, ask if they are a paid fundraiser. What portion of your donation will go to the charity?
Three: Avoid giving cash. For security and tax purposes, use a credit card or write a check directly to the charity.
Four: Don’t wire money to a charity. Once you wire money, you can’t get it back – and, often, it can’t be tracked.
Five: keep records of all of your donations.
When it comes to making sure your charitable gifts are reaching the organizations that need them, check it out, at FTC.gov.
A tip from the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency.