• To verify the status of a charity, contact the secretary of state’s Charities Program at 1-800-332-4483. Send an email inquiry to charities@secstate.wa.gov.
• To research an organization online, visit the charities web page at secstate.wa.gov/charities.
This is the season for giving. In fact, the Nonprofit Research Collaborative’s November 2010 fundraising survey found that the majority of all charitable contributions are made in the last quarter.
Sadly, that’s an open invitation to con men and scammers who seek only to line their own pockets.
Wise donors check out charities and know that they are contributing their hard-earned money to upright organizations that are providing needed services.
“Charities rely on giving-season donations for the following year,” said Sherry Guderjohn, charity review manager for the Better Business Bureau that serves Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington. “When fraudulent charities or dishonest solicitors intercept donation dollars, it leaves legitimate organizations and those they serve in a difficult position.”
The Secretary of State’s Office is the go-to place for donors who want to check out the legitimacy of charitable organizations. As noted on their website, “The Charities Program registers individuals, organizations, and commercial fundraisers that raise or collect contributions from the general public to support charitable activities.”
Both the benefiting charities as well as independent entities paid to solicit funds must, in most cases, provide general, financial and other valuable information about their fundraising activities. The information is available to potential donors so they may learn more about how their donation will be spent by the soliciting organization, before making a contribution.
Secretary of State Sam Reed offers these suggestions:
Request written material from the organization. Legitimate organizations welcome your interest and are happy to provide information. Be wary of those that don’t.
Be wary if they offer to send a courier to collect your donation immediately.
Don’t give in to high-pressure, hardball solicitations that demand an instant commitment. If the charity is legitimate, it should be willing to give you time to make up your mind.
When you have decided to donate, write a check and make it payable to the charity, not the fundraiser. Do not send cash or give your credit card number to anyone.
Don’t be fooled by a name. Some organizations use sympathetic sounding names, or names that closely resemble those of respected, legitimate charities.
“Generosity has carried Washington state through difficult times. For each charitable donation to have the greatest impact on our friends and neighbors, we must give wisely,” Reed said. “Asking questions and researching the charitable organization will stretch every dollar and significantly change lives.”
Attorney General Rob McKenna’s office also wants members of the public to make wise charitable decisions. McKenna says that under Washington laws solicitors must:
Clearly state her or his name.
Clearly state the name of the charitable organization and its principal place of business.
Clearly state the name of the commercial fundraiser, if any, that employs the solicitor.
Disclose the true nature of the organization’s relationship to the government, if it is associated with or has a name similar to a government organization.
McKenna said that under those same laws, an individual soliciting a contribution must not:
Make a false, deceptive or misleading representation.
State or imply that the contribution is tax-deductible unless the charity has filed with the secretary of state its letter from the Internal Revenue Service granting tax-deductible status.
Use the name “police,” “sheriff,” “firefighter” or similar name unless authorized.
Harass, intimidate or torment.
Claim the tickets to an event will be donated unless the fundraiser has obtained a letter from those persons stating they will accept the tickets and the number they will accept.
Call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
Individuals who believe they have been deceived can file a complaint with the attorney general’s consumer protection office by calling 1-800-551-4636 or contact the Better Business Bureau in DuPont at 253-830-2924 or file a complaint in small claims court.
As McKenna said, “There really is no better way to be certain that the charitable organization asking for your support is deserving than to become involved. Speak to the organizers. Participate in events. Volunteer. Contribute directly to these charities and you can be sure your money will be doing the most good.”
That’s sage advice during this season of giving – and scamming.
