Give Yourself The Gift Of Giving
By Lynnette Phillips, Fri Dec 9th
The holidays are here marked by greetings of good cheer,merrymaking and all manner of festivities! In the midst of allof the revelry is, of course, gift giving and to many yuletidegiving means more than the gifts under the Christmas tree. Alongwith the sweater for Aunt Sue, the bicycle for Jimmy and theslippers for Grandpa are the gifts to charities and disasterrelief organizations. Unfortunately together with extreme generosity come con artistsand opportunists determined to take advantage of your holidayspirit and goodwill by turning your donation into their ownpersonal profit. Ensure your charitable gift reaches theintended recipient by using just a little caution and maybe abit of research. *Seek out known organizations and give directly withoutresponding to solicitations. If you're unsure about thelegitimacy of a charity, check the Attorney General's Registryof Charitable Trusts, www.ag.ca.gov/charities. Whileregistration is no guarantee of legitimacy it is an importantindicator. A source for national charities is the BetterBusiness Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance at (800) 575-4483 orwww.give.org.
*Be wary of copy cat names. Did he just say American CancerSociety or Unamerican Answers Society? If you're talking tosomeone about making a donation to a but didn't quitecatch the organization's name don't hesitate to ask for
the nameto be repeated or even spelled out. After all, if you'reexpected to make a contribution shouldn't you know who willbenefit? And while you're asking questions, find out what thegroup proposes to do with any excess contributions remainingafter the intended purpose is met. *Any contribution should be made by check, never by cash, madeout directly to the charitable organization and not to anindividual solicitor. *Don't give through email solicitations. Clicking on an emaillink may lead you to a site set up by identity thieves. If youare contacted by what seems to be a reputable organization,contact their official Web site directly or give by phone (thecall being initiated by you) or via regular mail. Americans give roughly $250 billion to annually, withCalifornians counted among the most generous, not only showingcompassion and support for their neighbors but also rushing tothe aid of others throughout the nation and the world. Theholiday season marks one of the most bountiful times of year forthese neighbors, charities and relief organizations. Don't letyour goodwill be affected those few seeking to line their ownpockets--just season your caring and giving with a littleprudence. © 2005 by Lynnette A. Phillips Article may be reprinted freely as long as the author bylinesand info box are included. About the author:Lynnette Phillips is a professional notary public and CertifiedNotary Signing Agent in CA. www.yucaipamobilenotary.com |
