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This time of year is often characterized as a time for sharing warmhearted moments with family members and friends; heralding the joys of the season at various festivities; and spreading goodwill towards others. As we get caught up in the merriment of the holidays, it is easy to spread goodwill towards others through the act of giving. We often give our time and money to others less fortunate than ourselves by volunteering at a soup kitchen; or participating in your church’s annual food and clothing drive; or donating to various charities.

This past year has been very stressful for a lot of people in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The economy, joblessness; the recession and decline in fixed incomes; fiscal cuts in a variety of services for the homelessness, the less fortunate and the elderly; and concerns for the affordability of healthcare and prescription drugs makes it more likely and vital for those of us, who can afford to, to give to charitable organizations. Nevertheless, there are some things you should know and questions to ask when deciding to donate to a charitable organization so as to protect yourself from fraud or to assure that your donation is going to the intended organization or purpose you wish it to.

Charitable giving is a profitable industry for many businesses that have no relation to the intended cause you might be considering to give to. Many non-profits, today, utilize professional fundraisers to assist in raising the needed financial support for their organizations. Often the professional fundraisers take a percentage of the donations received by their solicitation methods. Additionally, in hard economic times such as we have experienced these past couple of years in Massachusetts, it is important to make your donation very carefully so that you know exactly where the donation is going as well as ensuring you are not being taken by a fraudulent charity. Here are some helpful tips if you are considering donating to a charity:

Ask the name, address and telephone number of the charity.
Find out exactly how and where your donation will be used.
Find out if your donation is tax deductible.
Ask if you are talking to a professional fundraiser or a person from the solicit ting charitable organization.
Ask for the professional fundraisers name, address and telephone number.
Inquire as to what percentage of your donation is going to the charitable organization and what percentage is going to the professional fundraiser.
Also, know that you can request a financial statement from the organization to further see where your donation is going.
Never make a donation in cash or provide your credit card number over the telephone. Always pay by check; and make the check out to the charity by writing its full name on the check.
Don’t fall for an unfortunate tale. A legitimate charity will tell you how it’s using your donation to make a difference; it will not place pressure on you by revealing a tragic and emotional tale.

Most importantly, if you are planning on donating to a charitable organization and you have any question at all regarding the charities legitimacy, please call the Massachusetts Division of Public Charities at the Attorney General’s Office in Springfield. The phone number for the Springfield A. G.’s Office is (413) 784-1240. Legitimate charities and professional fundraisers are registered to work in Massachusetts; and all registered charities financial records are open to the public for viewing.

During this holiday season, the act of giving is a fantastic and noble opportunity to spread goodwill towards others as well as to feel good about ourselves. I hope you will consider helping those less fortunate than yourselves because there are so many people out there that can use our help. We must never lose our sense of community or ability to reach out to everyone and remind them that they are also, like us, a thread in the fabric of our community.