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Crisis Time Charitable Giving: How to Make Your Money Count

One of the most popular times for people to donate is in times of crisis. Whether it is a natural disaster or an act of terrorism, a time of crisis often causes people to open up their pocketbooks and be more generous with their donations. If you want to participate in crisis time giving, here are some tips to make sure that your money actually makes a difference.

Start by giving to an established charity. Unfortunately, in times of crisis many fly by night scams will open up trying to take advantage of your goodwill. Just like you normally would, you want to seek out a charity that has a record of dealing with disasters and making good use of your money. Even if a new organization means well, it will often not be equipped to handle the crisis as efficiently as a group that has been around longer. If you honestly feel that your money will be best handled by a new charity, you will want to verify that it is a registered charity and has 501 (c) (3) status.

Next, you may want to designate where your gift goes. Do you prefer that it goes into the general fund or reserved for another crisis in the future. A lot of charities prefer that you do not designate your gifts, since they can then decide how they feel the money should be used. However, if you do not have full confidence in the charity’s ability to make this decision, you may want to tell them exactly what you want done with your gift. When you are donating online, or even with some charities when you donate through the mail, there may be a box to check to signal where you would like the money to go. If not, you can write in the memo area of your check what you would like the money used on.

Watch out for telemarketers during a crisis time. In general, you should always use caution when donating over the phone, since this is an easy avenue for scammers to gain access to your personal and financial information. An easier way is to get the information of the charity written down and to mail them a check or use their website to donate. This way you make sure that your money gets to where you want it to go. This also helps prevent for-profit fundraiser from taking a chunk of your donation out before passing it on to y our charity.

As usual, any time you donate you should take time to find a charity that you are comfortable with. You can use online financial evaluations to decide on your charity. You can also follow up with the charity to find out how your donation was used. This can help you determine if your money was used properly and/or if the group needs additional support. Then you can determine if you want to continue supporting them or not.

Another safeguard that you can take is to make your donation online. This allows your donations to reach the charities instantly, so they can start providing their services immediately to the crisis area. It will also provide you with some security in knowing that your money got where you intended it to go.

All in all, you should use the same judgment when donating during a crisis time that you would if you were donating during any other time of the year. Do not let the high emotions of the situation keep you from making smart financial decisions. By taking the extra time that it takes to find a legitimate and efficient charity will help you to make the most of your charitable contributions.