Saturday, 10 June 2017

Distinguish Between The 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.

There are charities that settle for names that sound or appear similar to those of popular humanitarian organizations. This is one of the tactics used in defrauding donors. Close resemblance is used to hoodwink donors who are not too keen on the name. Since this is a cause for alarm, the best thing is to verify the existence of such an organization. This is one of the clearest signs of fraud.

Is the fundraiser pushing you so hard as if your donation is an emergency? Such high pressure tactics are meant to deny you a chance to think or scrutinize the validity of the charity work. Take your time and even if you have the money and are willing to contribute, do not follow the pace of another person. Conduct thorough background check on the organization and only proceed once you get a surety that the course and organization are genuine.

The years of operation or existence without success stories or verifiable results are an indicator of fraud. If a charity has been in education for two decades, there should be a few graduates who credit their success to the organization. Check media coverage or other internet sources for such evidence. In its absence you can conclude that the course is not genuine.

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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