Yesterday was #GivingTuesday – a designated day to
donate to charities. Last week Wise
Giving Wednesday featured this event and provided giving
tips to keep in mind for those who participated by donating on this
day. Of course, giving does not end on #GivingTuesday and takes
place throughout the year.
While all charities need continuing help, we remind
donors to especially remember the various disaster relief efforts to
address Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria as well as the earthquake in
Mexico. While these disasters have moved past the emergency relief phase
and are now entering recovery, those charities engaged in rebuilding
efforts will need additional assistance to get the job done. It is
likely that those efforts will take years to complete.
If you are short on cash this holiday season and are
considering alternatives such as donating used items, the items need to
be in good used condition in order to claim a charitable deduction on
your federal income tax. For example, if a charity accepts used
clothing, a torn sweatshirt won’t do. And, be sure to check out
the charity on Give.org to find out if they meet the BBB Standards
for Charity Accountability.
So if for some reason you missed #GivingTuesday, there
are many other opportunities to help charities. We hope you will be
generous in your choices and will seek to verify their trustworthiness
by visiting Give.org.
Video of the Week
As part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are
pleased to provide a video that features Joel Williams, Managing
Attorney, Native American Rights Fund
(a BBB Accredited Charity),
which provides legal assistance to Indian tribes, organizations,
and individuals who may have otherwise gone without adequate
representation. The organization reports that it helps tribes in all
fifty states, with programming concentrated in five key areas: the
preservation of Tribal existence; protection of Tribal natural
resources; promotion of Native American human rights; the accountability
of governments to Native Americans; and the development of Indian law
and educating the public about Indian rights, laws and issues.
Recent Reports
We are always working with charities to publish or
update reports for donors. Visit Give.org or
local BBBs to check out any charity before giving. Our recently
evaluated charities include:
Finally, remember to let us know by going to https://www.give.org/charity-inquiry if
you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list
and we will do our best to produce one.
H. Art Taylor, President & CEO
BBB Wise Giving
Alliance
