Differentiate Between Genuine And Fake Public Charities

By Stephanie Wilson


Most people have a genuine human heart and are willing to contribute to charitable organizations. However, there is an emerging trend of fake public charities that are fleecing donors. It is disheartening to realize that the contribution you made did not assist the needy cases you had in mind. As such, check the credibility of such organizations before forwarding your donation. This will give you an assurance that you are dealing with a genuine charity.

Request the fundraising agent to reveal the mission, course or aim of the donations sort. It is easy to recognize genuine reasons. However, there are outright fake reasons like the mention of an disaster or need that is nonexistent. Should the organization or its agent give you an unconvincing reason, hold back your donation for a more worthy course.

Donations to charity are usually exempt from tax. Organizations receive details to be forwarded to donors so that they can make claims when filing their tax returns. If the fundraiser does not provide such details, or is hesitant, it is likely that the intention is fake or there is a plan to divert the money. Avoid making a contribution because you will be forced to still pay taxes.

Have you encountered a charity that uses a name that resembles another popular organization? This is a clear sign of fraud. The close resemblance is meant to hoodwink you into making your contribution. It is advisable that you verify the information provided in case you still want to contribute. However, there are high chances that the organization could be running a con scheme.

A fundraiser should never push you to contribute in a hurry. This only happens when the agent does not want you to question his mission or realize that something is wrong with the campaign. You are likely to fall for the trick especially when money is readily available. Do not give into pressure. Hold on until such a time when you can ascertain that the deal is genuine. This will prevent your money from going to the wrong beneficiaries.

Some organization brag about years of existence yet they have no tangible results or success stories. By checking online or on news stands, you should get recent stories or photos of their work. If such information is not available, you have every reason to worry. The photos and stories should be of recent events that are covered on independent outlets.

All charitable organizations are licensed and their activities regulated by government bodies. Their details including administrators and areas of specialization are uploaded on government websites. Request for registration details from the fundraiser and counter-check them against what the regulators are providing. These details are usually available online. They can be verified anywhere and at any time.

An SMS option is provided to verify the authenticity of charity course or organizations and prevent loss of funds. Verify the details as provided by the fundraiser. If the course or organization is ascertained to be false, law enforcers should be notified to prevent continued fraud. This ensures that charity money benefits the intended persons.




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