For the fifth year, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the United States has been designated as #GivingTuesday, the day to make donations to charity.  Started by the New York-based organization, 92Y, in partnership with the United Nations Foundation, #GivingTuesday raised over $116 million dollars in online donations last year from over 700,000 donors. In addition to the national campaign, there are now a number of regional campaigns in the U.S. as well as activities in over 20 countries.

BBB Wise Giving Alliance has been helping to promote #GivingTuesday for the past four years by encouraging donors to make thoughtful giving decisions.  We urge contributors to find out more about the organization(s) before sending donation(s) and visit Give.org to verify if the charity meets the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability .

To assist donors, BBB WGA offers the following #Giving Tuesday Checklist  

1. Decide Together. Sit down with your family or friends to discuss the causes and charities that are most meaningful to you. This will help narrow your search before making a donation.  
2. Watch Out for Name Similarity.  Charities raising money for the same cause can have names that sound similar.  Avoid cases of mistaken identity by looking at the name carefully.
3. What Does the Charity Do?  A charity’s name won’t necessarily reflect the nature of its program activities. Review the charity’s appeals and website to make sure you know how it plans to address the problems it describes so well.
4. Verify Your Charity. Visit Give.org to verify that your charity of choice is trustworthy and transparent. 

Discover more tips on how to make a wise giving decision provided at Give.org. 

Of related interest, click below to listen to a recent Council of Better Business Bureaus podcast, "The Bistro," featuring Giving Tuesday.  More information about this new podcast series (which is also available on iTunes) can be found here.

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: 

• Adopt America Network
• Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation
• Union of Concerned Scientists

Finally, remember to let us know by going to  https://give.org/ask-us-about-a-charity1/ 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