Donate Your Money To A Legitimate Charity

When you want to donate to a special cause, make sure your money gets spent the right way by investigating a charity in advance. Check with the IRS to ensure the charity qualifies as a valid 501c (non-profit) organization. If a charity is not listed with the IRS as a valid 501c organization, your donations will NOT be tax deductible, but that does not necessarily mean the organization isn't doing good work. Check with the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org to see if they've received any complaints about the charity.

Charity Navigator at www.charitynavigator.org can tell you what rating they've given the charity. The rating encompasses factors like how efficiently the charity spends its funds. But remember that while not all charities are listed with the BBB or Charity Navigator, that doesn't mean they are necessarily irreputable. Many smaller charities just may not be listed.