The benefits you can gain from giving charitable gifts. The Basics Francis West, president of the Better Business Bureau of Delaware Inc., says that she has seen an explosion in the number of non-profit groups in the last 25 years, primarily due to the loss of government funding and an increasing demand for services. Charitable groups have responded by asking for more money, from more donors, on a more frequent basis. The Council of Better Business Bureaus estimates that more than 80 percent of the money raised by charities in this country comes from individuals. Unfortunately, there has also been an increase in the number of scam artists preying upon generously-minded individuals who think their donations go to help the needy.
Solicitors use the mail, telephone and e-mail to make their requests.
Always make your check payable to the charity, never to the individual collecting donations. Never give your checking account or charge card number to an unknown solicitor. Keep a record of your donation, in the form of canceled checks, receipts and bank statements. This way, you can document your donations at tax time. Don't be fooled by names that sound similar to the names of well-known organizations.