RSS
iTunes
Twitter
Facebook
Del.icio.us
Digg This
Reddit
Furl
Yahoo! My Web
September 26, 2011
Choosing Charities Wisely
Get smart tips on ensuring that your charities of choice are legitimate and deserving of your support.
Transcript
If you make charitable contributions or volunteer your time, make sure the charities deserve your support. Here are a few tips:
First, look for organizations that apply at least 75 percent of contributions to programs that help beneficiaries. Study the group's website, annual report and mission statement, and speak to staff members to gauge their efficiency. You can also see ratings for popular nonprofits at charitynavigator.org.
Never pledge money over the phone or by email unless you initiated the contact. And finally, your charitable contributions‐including mileage for driving to volunteer jobs–may be tax deductible. Check the rules in Tax Topic 506 at irs.gov.
Bottom line: Your donations can make a huge impact–just make sure it's a worthy organization.
Related Articles
- Know When to Claim Tax Credits, Deductions
- Choose Your Charities Carefully
- Identity Thieves' Latest Scams
- Avoiding Deceptive Opt 'Out' Scams
 |  |
Email to a friend
The information that you provide through this e-mail feature will not be stored by Visa for any other purposes. Please refer to Visa's privacy policy for details.
Comments
Please note that all comments must adhere to the Practical Money Skills Discussion Rules and terms of use.
