Telling if a charity is legitimate is critical, especially when it comes to making a donation. It helps to know if your money is being used for the exact purpose it is meant to be. With many scammers out there capitalising on the ignorance of donors to siphon money from them, it is very important for donors to take precautions to ensure that their money goes to those in need.
Do Research
Most often, you will find charities in your email, on social media, and lots of other places on the web. Don’t just click on any link in your email as scammers tend to embed viruses or malware. This is a rule that must also apply to other platforms, such as Reddit and Facebook. Before you click on any link or respond to any email, it is important to research the organisation on
the web. You can trust Google to tell you everything about any organisation that claims to be a charity.
Every reputable charity has a website, which you can explore to find out more about the organisation. Visit the site and see if there are things like authentic permanent address and contact information. A lack of this information could be a huge red flag that the charity is a scam. You can verify if the contact information is genuine by calling or emailing the stuff.
Know How Your Donation Is Used
Of course, you may not expect all your donation to go directly to the needy. Charities have lots of things to fund, including travel costs, overhead, fundraising, and publicity. However, a good charity should use more than half of your donation to benefit the needy directly. You may want to make a small initial donation and follow it up to know how it is used before you donate big money.