If you’re fortunate enough to have more than you need, it’s always nice to give back, especially around the holidays. But where should you give? There are so many charities that could do amazing things with your money — the challenge is determining where your gift will be best used to make the biggest impact.
Here’s a rundown on how to choose a reputable charity where your dollars will make the most impact possible.
First, Decide Where You Want To Make Your Impact
A big decision to make is whether you’d prefer to give locally, on the national level or at the international level. (Or all of the above!)
If you opt for local, there are likely countless options right in your own backyard. For example, you could assist your neighborhood soup kitchen in securing the ingredients they need, or help your local animal shelter purchase supplies. Plus, local groups are often incredibly efficient with spending, which means the majority of the money you give will go straight to the causes that need it the most. Another benefit to donating locally is that you can immediately see the impact in your own community.
If you would prefer to make an impact on a national or global scale, there are many amazing charities that help millions of people during their times of greatest need including United Way, Habitat for Humanity, The Salvation Army, or the American Red Cross, for example. There are also countless organizations that target specific diseases, such as The American Heart Association or the Alzheimer’s Association, for example. These charities are household names, and will often offer donors a chance to come together at races, fundraisers and networking events throughout the year.
Next, Make Sure Your Charity Is A Genuine Non-Profit
The most important rule when choosing a charity is a simple one: Make certain the organization is a certified 501(c)(3) non-profit. Unless it has an official 501(c)(3) designation, it’s not a charity — and you have no real way of knowing where your money is going.
While not all 501(c)(3) nonprofits function as charities (for example, your credit union is a501(c)(3), which is why it can offer better rates than a large bank) any organization operating as a charity must be a 501(c)(3) in order to take donations. When you verify an organization's status, you’re not only ensuring that your money will be used in the way that you intended, you can also get a tax deduction for your donation — only donations made to registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits are eligible for a tax deduction.
How Can I Verify That A Charity Is A Genuine Non-Profit?
Any legitimate charity should be happy to show you its 501(c)(3) certificate and tax ID number (this info should also be on its website). The website should also transparency into what percentage of its donations are dispersed (used to fund programming) vs. what percentage goes toward covering overhead costs. If a charity is not willing to offer up that info, that’s a red flag.
You can start your search for a reputable charity online. For example, on social media, you can see how often a charity posts and engages with followers, the type of things they share, and then click through to their website to see if things look legit. If you find that your charity seems to exist in a black hole, with no solid public information, they might not be on the up-and-up. After you’ve checked out their website, continue your search by verifying an organization's information on the following sites: The Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance, the charity search tool from the IRS, Charity Navigator, Guidestar and Charity Watch. These websites keep records of which nonprofits are officially registered as 501(c)(3)s, and in many cases they’ll have a breakdown of exactly how donations are spent.
“Taking these few steps can ensure legitimacy with the cause you’re looking to support and also that your dollars donated are actually reaching the people in need,” says C.R. Celona, CEO and founder of the app Cluster, which aims to help drive social change.
Breaking Down The Numbers
In terms of how an organization will (ideally) be using the funds it receives, Celona says to follow this rule of thumb: At least 50 percent (and hopefully much more) of a charity’s annual donations should go directly to the cause, not towards administrative costs. For example, if you see a charity paying extraordinarily high salaries to its executive team and only putting a small amount towards programming or services, you should think twice about giving them your hard-earned dollars.
Also, when you think about how much to give to each charity, keep in mind that it may be more helpful to individual organizations when you go deep instead of wide. In other words, while giving $10 here and $5 there is always appreciated, it doesn’t have the same significance as picking fewer causes you believe in and giving more, explains Julie Castle, CEO of the Best Friends Animal Society. “Instead of making lots of small donations to multiple groups, you will have a bigger impact by giving larger gifts to a handful of charities,” Castle says. (But of course, any organization will be thrilled to have your donations, no matter how small!)
During Times Of Crisis, Watch Out For Charity Scams
When disaster strikes (fires, flood, tornadoes, etc.) we often want to give as much as we can, as quickly as we can, to aid boots on the ground. Unfortunately, scammers know this and will often look to exploit your good will — by setting up fake charities to steal from their victims. According to the IRS, charities lose an estimated 5% of their annual revenue to scams. These scams often begin with a cold call, an unsolicited text, a social media message or e-mail. So, as much as you might want to respond directly to that outreach, instead, hang up or delete the message and go directly to the charity’s website — that way you know exactly where your money is going. In other words, don’t feel pressure to give before you vet an organization thoroughly.
Want more tips like this? Visit Good Money Habits for more resources.
About Members Choice Credit Union
At Members Choice, we strive to exceed your expectations. We believe in people-helping-people by providing sound financial solutions and resources, as well as sharing our passion for supporting the community. As a full-service financial institution based in Houston, Texas, we have proudly served the West Houston, Katy, and Cy-Fair areas for more than 80 years. For more information, visit www.mccu.com.
