BBB Wise Giving Alliance Urges Donors to Give Wisely This Holiday Season

Arlington, VA (November 25, 2014) – #GivingTuesday, the National Day of Giving, kicks off the holiday giving season on December 2^nd, following Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Before donating to a charity this season, it is wise to carefully review a charity and ensure it is a trustworthy organization. BBB Wise Giving Alliance (BBB WGA) along with Better Business Bureaus across North America, is sharing five tips to help donors give with confidence.

“Our main objective is to help donors find charities they can trust,” remarks H. Art Taylor, president and CEO, BBB WGA. “We believe our rigorous reviews help verify trust before you donate.”

BBB WGA recommends these tips to give wisely, on #GivingTuesday and any day of the year:

1. Watch out for copycats. There may be hundreds of charities seeking support in the same category, and some may have similar sounding names. Don’t fall for a case of mistaken identity.
2. Consider the whole picture, not just finances. While financial ratios help in identifying cases of financial abuse, it’s a mistake to use them as the sole basis for making a giving decision. A good ratio does not necessarily mean a charity is well managed, honest in its appeals, transparent about its activities, and effective in achieving its mission.
3. Avoid being pressured. Don’t succumb to pressure to make an on-the-spot giving decision. Responsible organizations will welcome your gift tomorrow just as much as today.
4. Keep emotions in check. Donors need to be mindful that con artists will often strike when emotions are running high. Always take a moment to verify that your selected charity operates ethically.
5. Rely on rigorous evaluations. Charities can demonstrate they are trustworthy by undergoing a rigorous evaluation based on holistic standards such as the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. Get free access to BBB Charity Reports at Give.org.

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ABOUT BBB WISE GIVING ALLIANCE

BBB Wise Giving Alliance(BBB WGA) is a standards-based charity evaluator that seeks to verify the trustworthiness of nationally-soliciting charities by completing rigorous evaluations based on 20 holistic standards that address charity governance, effectiveness reporting, finances, fund raising, appeal accuracy, and other issues. Learn more about the 20 BBB Charity Standards and about local charity review at local Better Business Bureaus atGive.org

MEDIA CONTACTS: For more information, journalists should contact Katherine Hutt at 703-247-9345 or khutt@council.bbb.org or Bennett Weiner at 703-247-9323 or bweiner@council.bbb.org.