A Taste of the Heart of Giving

1. Get the charity’s exact name. With so many charities in existence, mistaken identity is a common problem. Thousands of charities have “cancer” in their name, for example, but no connection with one another. 2. Resist pressure to give on the spot, whether from a telemarketer or door-to-door solicitor. 3. Be wary of heart-wrenching appeals. What matters is what the charity...

Thrift shops, drop-off bins and collection trucks in the neighborhood make it easy to get rid of goods we don’t want. Both charities and for-profits are major players in the market for used goods, sometimes separately and sometimes in a variety of arrangements. If you care about the charitable benefit your goods provide, be sure...