Beware of Charity Ripoffs.

Tis the season to make a donation to your favorite charity. Just be sure your money is going to help people afflicted with a certain illness or to science searching for a cure. In far too many cases you’re helping the administrator live a lavish lifestyle. You may be paying for a mansion, private jets, deluxe hotel suites, luxury cars and dinners in four-star restaurants. One juvenile Diabetes charity raised over 14 million in a 10-year period and gave about $10,000 to science toward finding a cure.

Shocking, isn’t it? But, more common than people want to believe. The best advice before you give to any charity is to look up its record on charity navigator. You may be disappointed but you’ll be able to read the facts. Charity navigator.org has an alphabetical listing of all registered charities as well as many top ten lists. Habitat for Humanity is an excellent template for what a charity should be about. Some charities were created simply to raise awareness, not to help a particular group or further scientific research.

Far too many people make donations based on habit. There’s a smart way of supporting organizations which really do practice what they preach. Charitable giving is important. Just make sure your support goes to your intended goal and not to someone’s yacht club membership. When in doubt it’s best to donate to your church, temple or community outreach organization like your local food bank. Donating your time may be more valuable than your dollars.

Incidentally, you may want to consider showing your support for the work charity navigator (or Wikipedia, if you use it often) does by making a donation.