The Wise and the Wary
Who can you trust? Deb hears this question over and over again in her professional practice as an elder law attorney and a fee-only, holistic financial planner. Let Deb teach you how to protect yourself and your assets from those who might not have your best interests at heart. [Editor's note: Deb no longer contributes to Silver Planet, but we have made her archived blog entries available as a service to our readers.]
Charitable Giving to Haiti
Do your due diligence online
Since the January 12 earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Americans have opened their hearts and wallets to aid the survivors. Compassion and generosity have surged. Unfortunately, so have scams. But there are a few simple things you can do to ensure that your charitable intent is honored and carried out by reputable organizations.
First, spend a few minutes online to perform a little due diligence on your intended charity. My favorite site is CharityNavigator.com, widely regarded as the best site for education, scam alerts, and financial evaluations of more than 5,400 American charities. Its current “Hot Topics” section has ratings of the largest American organizations giving to Haitian relief, and articles and frequently asked questions cover donors’ most common concerns.
Another top-rated site is CharityWatch.org, sponsored by the American Institute of Philanthropy. Its Charity Rating Guide and Watchdog Report gives detailed analyses of financial information such as the percentage of income going to fund-raising efforts and the percentage of income actually going toward programs. Their “Hot Topics” page also lists the top-rated organizations involved with the Haitian relief effort and provides donor advisories for current scams and fraudulent fund-raising schemes.
Finally, a quick Google search of “Haitian relief scams” brought up several recent articles from reputable news sources on the latest scams. Be prepared to be disgusted. As always, give, but give wisely.
By Deborah Hoskins, JD, CFP
The Wise and the Wary Blog
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