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Attorney General Mike DeWine
DeWine Offers
Charitable Giving Tips Following Orlando Tragedy
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today offered
charitable giving tips to Ohioans who want to donate in the wake of the
Orlando tragedy.
“Following the tragedy in Orlando, people in Ohio and across the
country have shown an outpouring of generosity. They want to know how
they can help,” Attorney General DeWine said. “We’re offering
charitable giving tips to help people make informed decisions, avoid
charity scams, and make sure their donations are used how they want
them to be used.”
Tips for making charitable donations after a tragedy:
Carefully evaluate donation requests. Following a national tragedy,
some sham charities pop up to take advantage of people’s generosity.
Don’t assume that charity recommendations on Facebook, Twitter, or
other social media sites have been vetted. The first donation request
you find may not be the best.
Evaluate charities using resources such as the Ohio Attorney General’s
Office (or another state attorney general’s office), IRS Select Check,
Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, and
GuideStar.
Beware of “look-alike” websites or accounts. Be skeptical of charities
or groups with names that sound similar to well-known organizations.
They may be intended to confuse donors. If you receive a message from
an organization asking for a donation, confirm that the request truly
is from the organization, and not an imposter, by contacting the
organization directly or visiting its website.
Be careful when giving to newly formed charities. Some charities that
are formed shortly after a tragedy have good intentions but lack the
experience to properly handle donors’ contributions. Established
charities are more likely to have experience to respond following a
tragedy and to have a track record that you can review.
Review claims carefully. Some groups sell merchandise online and claim
that “100 percent of the proceeds” will benefit a specific charitable
purpose, but this claim does not necessarily mean 100 percent of the
sales price will go toward the cause. Contact the organization to ask
how much of each purchase will support the cause. If the organization
cannot give you an answer, consider donating another way.
Tips for peer-to-peer fundraising or crowdfunding:
Contact a charity before raising money on its behalf. Sometimes
individual supporters raise money for charities through peer-to-peer
fundraising campaigns, such as by setting up a page on a crowdfunding
site. If you want to set up a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign,
contact the charity in advance to get permission to use its name and to
make sure the representations you make on your page are correct.
Before donating, find out how your contribution will be used. If you
want to make a contribution on a peer-to-peer fundraising page, verify
that your donation will go directly to the charity versus to the
individual supporter.
Check fees. Find out what percentage of your donation will go to the
charity, versus the website, and find out whether you will be charged
extra fees when you donate.
Review privacy policies. Find out what the website will do (if
anything) with your personal information. Be wary of websites that do
not provide a privacy policy.
Tips for giving to an individual or family:
Verify an account. Ask the fundraiser whether there is a trust or
deposit account established for the individual’s or family’s benefit.
Contact the banking institution to verify the existence of the account,
and check locally to confirm.
Do not give cash. Contribute directly to the fund, not to an
individual. For example, send a check that is payable to the fund, not
to an individual, and mail it directly to the fund.
Understand that your contribution may not be tax deductible.
Contributions earmarked for relief of a particular individual or family
are not tax deductible, even if they are made to a qualified charitable
organization. Before making a donation, ask whether the charitable
contribution is tax deductible, and verify your findings with your tax
advisor or the IRS. The fact that a charity has a tax identification
number does not necessarily mean your contribution is tax deductible.
Ask for a receipt showing the amount of the contribution and stating
that it is tax deductible.
Respect the family’s requests. If you want to establish a fund to
assist victims of a tragedy, be especially careful to respect the
wishes of the victim’s family and friends. Obtain written permission to
use the names or photographs of any person or organization you want to
use in your fundraising appeals. Be specific and transparent about how
the funds will be used and how quickly collected funds will be
distributed. If there are multiple purposes for the fund, such as
funding future community needs, be clear about those purposes. Many
donors give with the expectation that all funds will be distributed
quickly and solely to victims and their families.
Those who suspect a charity scam or questionable charitable activity
should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at
www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov or 800-282-0515.
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