We all love the feeling of donating to a charity. It is truly a great feeling knowing that you can be in a position to help an important cause you are passionate about. However, it is imperative that before you donate to a specific charity, you understand everything there is to know about that particular organization. You want to be sure that your money is going to a credible place. There are great online resources that can help guide you in your decision to ensure that you can donate your money with confidence. Along with those resources, take a look at some of these questions to think about before you decide to donate to a charity.
What Does The Charity Do?
You will want to familiarize yourself with the organization and its mission. If the charity you are looking to donate to cannot articulate its mission then chances are, it will not do a great job in executing that mission. This process will require a lot of due diligence on your part regarding doing the necessary research about the organization. Learn about the charity and who they are and the goals they are trying to accomplish. You need to make sure you have no doubts about the issue they are tackling and the programs they are putting in place to achieve that goal. If the charity you planned on donating to cannot show that, then you are better off seeking a different one. There are so many solid organizations out there that know their mission and why it is important for their existence.
Confirm Their Nonprofit Status
Be sure to verify that the organization you are donating to has a 501(c)(3) designation by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This designation proves that the charity will use the donations they receive for purely charitable purposes. It also means that your gifts to them will be tax-deductible, the organization makes their financial information public, and that there are strict rules that oversee how much they can spend to lobby the government. An easy way to confirm that the charity is a 501(c)(3) is by going to GuideStar.org which is a nonprofit database, and just enter the name of the organization.
Learn About Their Results
At the end of the day, you want to know that the money you are donating will benefit the programs the organization has set in place to bring positive change to the particular issue. With that in mind, you will want to know what the charity has done in the past with donations and the results that they have garnered previously. It is essential to know about how effective the organization is with the funds they receive. This information can better help steer your decision because you will get a good idea of how they distribute their donations. An organization that works well with their money will be able to achieve great results with the donations they receive, so you will feel more comfortable putting your money to that charity.