BBB Urges: Research Before Making a Donation this Veterans Day

With Veterans Day on November 11, 2017, donors are likely to hear stories of disabled veterans needing assistance or similar pitches for Americans to make donations to charities that promise to help needy veterans.The Better Business Bureau Serving Wisconsin (BBB) reminds donors to look beyond stories that appeal to emotions before making a donation.

“It’s inconceivable that anyone would take advantage of these heroes,” said Jim Temmer, BBB President and CEO. “American donors are generous to organizations that help service members, veterans, and their families. We only ask that you do some checking before you give.”

In recent years, BBBs have issued several warnings about charities that failed to live up to their promises of providing assistance to veterans in need. Some charities devoted more money to raising funds than to helping veterans, and others weren’t willing to reveal how their funds were spent or the amount of assistance they offered.

BBB charity reviews lets donors know whether a charity has complied with BBB’s 20 Standards for Charity Accountability. Charities that meet all 20 standards may qualify as BBB Accredited Charities. BBB has more than 11,000 Charity Reviews, covering local and national nonprofit organizations.

BBB offers the following tips to potential donors:

• Learn all you can about a charity before contributing. Ask for the organization's IRS Form 990 and any printed documentation that shows how much of the contributions will be used for program services and how much will go for fundraising and management expenses.
• Whenever possible, donate directly to a charity and not through a fundraising telemarketer or a direct mail solicitation. That helps ensure that most of your contribution goes directly to the charity.
• Don't succumb to pressure to give money on the spot. A charity that can use your money today will welcome it just as much tomorrow. Watch out for appeals that bring tears to your eyes, but tell you nothing about how your donation will be used.
• Before making online donations, determine whether the charity’s website is secure and that it has a privacy policy concerning the use of your name, email address or other personal facts. (The address on the page where donations are collected should begin with https://).
• When considering support for a cause-related marketing campaign, find the answers to these questions: What portion of the purchase price will benefit the charity? What is the duration of the campaign? What is the maximum or minimum total contribution? If the information is not on the item, check the organization’s website.
• Check with the BBB at Give.org. For a charity to receive BBB accreditation, it must meet 20 Standards of Accountability covering everything from governance to fundraising.
• To report a suspected charity scam or learn more about the latest scams trending in your area, visit BBB Scam Tracker.