Avoid charity scams this holiday season

With the approach of the holiday season, kids are preparing lengthy lists for Santa, shoppers are gearing up for marathon days at the mall, and family cooks are reviewing recipes to spice up traditional meals. Unfortunately, others with less benevolent feelings are also getting ready for the holidays — bogus charities. Their goal? To use the holiday spirit to their advantage, to dupe well-meaning folks into parting with their hard-earned cash.

Studies show that about half of each year's charitable donations are given between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve. During the holidays, don't be surprised to find your e-mail in-box flooded with requests, your phone ringing off the hook, your mailbox stuffed with pleas for money. You may be asked for donations at store entrances, in parking lots, or at your front door. Most of these requests will be from legitimate charities. Some, however, may be looking for a quick buck. Before you give, follow these tips.

• Know your charity. Research the organization on watchdog websites such as those sponsored by the Better Business Bureau, Charity Navigator, or GuideStar. They'll rate the charity, publish information about complaints, provide links to the charity's official website, and offer financial disclosure data. Also take care with names and logos. Con artists have been known to set up bogus websites that mimic legitimate charities. One man, for example, was sentenced to prison after collecting donations for "The National Cancer Society" (instead of the legitimate "American Cancer Society"). Some crooks also use personal information gleaned from fake websites to steal identities and dollars.

• Where will your money go? Even if a charity is on the up-and-up, the organization may spend an inordinate percentage of donated dollars on staff salaries, overhead, or fundraising. Again, check out information on a charity's finances at watchdog websites. As a general rule, be cautious about giving to an organization that spends more than 25 percent of its donated funds on something other than its charitable programs.

• Slow down; then give. Your head should inform your heart. Just because a fundraiser tells an emotional sob story or tries to make you feel guilty, you have no obligation to donate. Take your time, do your research, and ask for written information. When you're satisfied that your dollars are going to an authentic charity that uses its contributions wisely, feel free to write a check.

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