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ADVICE AND TIPS
FOR DONORS
Ask Yourself
"Have
I heard of this charity before?"
Be mindful of organizations with similar names or
acronyms. Someone operating a scam won’t hesitate to
use similar names and logos as those of legitimate
charities.
Ask Questions.
The person trying to
solicit a donation from you should be able to
provide you with lots of information about the
organization, its mission and provide you with
details about how your donation will be used. At the very least they
should be able to provide you with phone numbers,
an address and/or web site to get more information if they
cannot answer your questions.
SOME QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD
ASK.
Can I get a tax receipt?
Only registered charities can issue tax
receipts. An official tax receipt should have
the charity's name and official tax number and
should also have the URL for the Canada Revenue
Agency's web page for information about charities. You can search
www.cra.gc.ca/charities to find out
if an organization is registered and view information
regarding the charity.
Note: There are many worthwhile non-profit
organizations which rely on fund raising, such as schools, sports teams and community groups,
which are not eligible to be registered charities and cannot issue official tax receipts.
How much of my donation will be used to help others?
You have a right to know this information.
Clearly, you want more then a few pennies out of each
dollar to be utilized for the good purpose or cause
which the charity claims.
If the fund raiser does not have this information,
you can view the charity’s tax return at the CRA’s
site.
If you feel pressured, don’t give.
Legitimate and reputable charities will not
push or coerce your donation from you. They should not
make statements like "Don’t you care about the
starving children.", etc.
Don’t give cash. Write a cheque.
Do not give details about your credit card over the
phone.
Unless you absolutely trust the organization, never
give credit card details to strangers over the phone.
Be very suspicious of an organization that says the
only way you can give is by supplying them with your
credit card number.
Plan your donation ahead of time.
Check to see if you can
"give at the office" through
a payroll plan. United Way of Halifax Region will ensure your
payroll plan donation is submitted to the organization
you choose. Though the Children's Aid Society of
Halifax Foundation is not one of the United Way's
funded charities, many people donate to us through
the United Way Payroll Plan at their office simply
by designating the Children's Aid Society of Halifax
Foundation as their charity of choice.
For more
information about
United Way
of Halifax Region check out their website.
Trust your instincts. If you are suspicious
at all, it may be for a good reason.
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