Here are things you can do to avoid charity scams:

Investigate the charity if you are unfamiliar with it. If you have never heard of the charity, ask for some literature. A legitimate charity will be more than happy to share information about their cause with you. If the charity’s representatives do everything they can to avoid giving you literature, change the subject, or give you an unsatisfactory response, consider donating elsewhere.

Be wary of phone calls soliciting donations. A common method for scamming people is phone call solicitations. While many phone calls may originate from legitimate charities, there are a vast number that are outright scams.

Another thing to be aware of is charities that use phone call solicitations to collect money for firefighters, policemen, and veterans associations. These charities often make an arrangement with a local law enforcement or firefighters group to solicit funds on their behalf, in exchange for permission to make phone calls in the local area and use their name when soliciting funds. Unfortunately, in many of these cases only a small portion of the funds actually go to the respective police or firefighters organization. They claim to ”support” a good cause, but usually end up supporting themselves. 

Some of these “charitable organizations” have no ties with any of these groups at all, and use misleading organizational names in order to trick people into giving. If it sounds official, it must be official, right? Not always - do your research!

Placing your number on the Do Not Call List can help reduce the number of telemarketer phone calls you receive, but it will not stop registered charities from calling you. You will have to specifically ask them to remove your number after they call you. One other note - once you give money to one of these organizations, they will share your information with others and you will get repeated phone calls from the original group and others!

Think twice before mailing off a check. Mail solicitations are another common means for scamming people. Many “charities” send out personalized address labels, stickers, calendars, or other small items to entice people into giving to them. These are often accompanied with a form that is pre-populated with your personal information and lists ”suggested donations.”

Remember, you are not obligated to give anything to them, especially when they send you something unsolicited. And if you give something to them, they will have your information, and you will likely receive many more of these solicitations in the future

Just say no to high pressure sales tactics. Charity organizations will be happy whenever you give them money to goods. If they pressure you to give right now, then they may not be legitimate. You should never be under any pressure to give your money to a charity. If they persist - walk away.

Money Mismanagement. Even legitimate charities may not manage their money well. Before giving money to a charity, try to determine how much of the funds they raise go toward certain costs such as overhead, fundraising and administrative costs and how much of their money goes toward delivering their charitable services. Investigate the charity - if less than 75% of their money goes toward charitable causes, consider donating elsewhere.

Protect yourself and give where you can make a difference 

Charities are wonderful things and make our world a better place, but you owe it to yourself and others to protect yourself from scams and give money where it will be used properly, and for the right cause.

Note: These solicitation methods are used by both legitimate charities and charitable scams. You should always research any organization before sending them money.

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As someone who is freely giving with the intent to help people who need assistance, you should be able to ask questions and receive reasonable answers before you decide whether or not you should donate to a particular organization.

Questions to ask when solicited by a charity:

1. Is the charity legitimate?
2. Does this charity represent something you support?
3. How will the charity use the donations you give them?

1. Is the charity legitimate?

Unfortunately there are many charities out there that are either fraudulent or less than forthcoming with their records. A good way to find out whether or not a public charity is legitimate is to find out if they qualify as a “tax exempt” organization with the IRS. To do this, you can request a copy of their IRS Form 990, “Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax.” Federal law requires public charities to send you a copy of its IRS Form 990 for a reasonable charge, upon request. In addition, you can request a copy of the organization’s Annual Report.

However, just because an organization has filed a Form 990, that doesn’t mean they are actually a legitimate charity. It is easy to file a form with the IRS. You will also want to investigate a little more into the charity’s regular dealings and determine how and where they spend their money. More on this later.

Note: Private charities and churches and related organizations are also not required to file Form 990s and do not have to provide a copy of their IRS tax filings to the public upon request. You will have to do other research on these organizations.

You can also research the charity on-line. These websites can also help you find information about the legitimacy of a charitable organization:

• American Institute of Philanthropy
• Charity Navigator
• Give.org
• GuideStar
• CFC Questions from donors

2. Does this charity represent something you support?

This criterion could almost be interchangeable with number one, but I feel it is important to know if the organization is legitimate so you can help prevent other people form giving money to a dishonest charity. If the charity supports projects you agree with, then skip to number 3 - “How will the charity use your donations?”

If the charity doesn’t represent something you believe in, it doesn’t mean they aren’t a good charity, but it doesn’t mean you should support them either. Politely decline and ask to be removed from their contact list.

3. How will the charity use your donations?

Each charity should have a charter or mission statement that informs the general public of the charity’s goal. Most legitimate charities operate in a very transparent manner. At the minimum, the charity should be able to tell you how your donations will be used, and in some cases, you can even request that your funds only go toward certain uses.

You can even look past their mission statement, and determine how the money was actually used. Take for example, The American Red Cross fiscal year 2006 report, which shows that The American Red Cross spent 95% of their total expenses on charitable programs, 2% on fundraising, and 3% on administration. An overall efficiency of 95% is very impressive. The websites mentioned above can help you find some of this information.

You will also need to consider what you will donate and how the organization will use your contribution. Some charities are not set up to take certain donations.

What will you donate?

• Money: Always useful, always appreciated.
• Goods: Clothes, food, electronic equipment, etc. Make sure you know what they need or can use before donating.
• Time: Sometimes this is the most valuable gift you can give. For many people it is much easer to write a check than it is to spend a few hours helping out. But many charities need manpower more than money.

Giving to charitable causes is noble and giving is one of the best ways to help others. But you also have an obligation to make sure that your donations are going to an organization that you believe in and that your donations are going to be used properly.

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We need to be prepared for a couple formal dinners (suit and tie, formal evening dress), some nice dinners (slacks, dress shirt, jacket, and dress for the ladies), and casual dinners. We also need clothes for our excursions, and swimsuits if we want to go swimming. Basically, we need to pack our entire closet!

Well, this was the perfect time to go through our clothes. My wife and I were tired of seeing too many unworn clothes in our closet, so we got a large box and just started filling it up with clothes we no longer wear.

I alone decided to clear out about 20 shirts, most of which were quite nice, but I just didn’t wear. In fact, I distinctly remember purchasing about 4 or 5 of them at one time because they were high quality, very nice, and on sale. The problem was, they just aren’t my style. At the time I wanted something a little flashier that I could wear out to the clubs. Then, I decided that clubs just aren’t my scene. So after hanging in my closet for a couple years, in the box the went! And I feel great about it!

It actually feels very good to not look at all those clothes any longer. My closet is easier to deal with, and I don’t have to feel guilty knowing I have all those nice clothes but I don’t wear them. They will soon take a trip to Goodwill where they will hopefully find a good home and make someone happy. They already made me happy! Bye old clothes!

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Over 200 MLB players used pink bats, pink wristbands, or other gear and equipment. Over the coming days and weeks, MLB will auction these items through their site. Last year was the first time MLB held this event and it raised over $350,000. The goal this year was to raise over $1 million. I hope they do!

If you want a piece of baseball history and want a support a great cause, head over to the MLB auctions and make a bid!

Note: Last month I wrote about a similar event when MLB celebrated Jackie Robinson Day by allowing players to wear his retired jersey number 42. In 1997, MLB permanently retired Jackie Robinson’s jersey #42. No one is permitted to wear that number on their uniform. However, MLB allowed players to wear the jersey #42 on Jackie Robinson Day, and the jerseys are currently being auctioned off at MLB.com. Prices start at $250 for a signed, game worn jersey and proceeds benefit the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which supports education.

It’s great to see one of the major sports supporting great causes and reaching out to fans at the same time!

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Last month Ken Griffey Jr. called Bud Selig, the Commissioner of MLB with a simple proposal: that he be allowed to wear Jackie Robinson’s #42 on his jersey for the 60th anniversary of the day Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier. Baseball permanently retired #42 from all jerseys in 1997 - the 50th anniversary of the day Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier. The only exceptions were those who were already wearing the number; when they retired, no one else could again wear #42.

Bud Selig thought it was a great idea, but asked Ken Griffey Jr. if he could run it by his committee first. When he called Griffey back, he asked if Griffey would mind if others also had the opportunity to wear #42 in honor of Robinson. Of course, Griffey agreed.

Sunday, April 15th, is the 60th anniversary, and so far over 150 MLB players have agreed to wear jersey #42, including 3 entire teams.

Each jersey will be authenticated by MLB and auctioned off. All proceeds from the jersey auctions will go to the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which supports education.

MLB has had similar promotions in the past, when on Mother’s Day, many players used pink bats. The bats were then auctioned off to promote the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

This is a great opportunity to own a piece of American history, and support a wonderful cause!

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