Charitable Solicitations

If you have been asked to donate monies, time or in-kind gifts to an organization or individual, your BBB advises that you give with your head as well as your heart.

Here are the BASICS:

1. Do not give cash. Write out a check to the charity's full, official name, not to the individual collecting the donation.
2. Keep records of your donations (receipts, cancelled checks, and bank statements) so you can document your charitable giving at tax time.
3. Look at the name carefully. Some charity names sound the same. There are many charities raising funds for similar causes.
4. Do not be pressured to make an immediate gift. If needed, ask the charity to send you more information on its programs and finances.
5. Check out the organization with the local charity registration office (usually a division of the state attorney general's office) and with your local Better Business Bureau.

For more information, logon to http://www.give.org to check out national charities and for a listing of charities that solicit locally, logon to the West Texas Charity Review website at:

http://www.charitiesofwesttexas.org