{"id":10029,"date":"2023-11-14T11:16:21","date_gmt":"2023-11-14T19:16:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/?p=10029"},"modified":"2024-02-27T15:40:09","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T23:40:09","slug":"how-to-choose-a-reputable-charity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/blog\/how-to-choose-a-reputable-charity\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Choose a Reputable Charity"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

How to Choose a Reputable Charity<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re fortunate enough to have more than you need, it\u2019s always nice to give back. But where? So many charities could do amazing things with your money. The challenge is determining where your gift will be best used to make the biggest impact.<\/p>\n

One big decision to make off the bat is whether you\u2019d prefer to give locally, or on the national or international level. There are likely countless options right in your own backyard. For example, you could assist your neighborhood food bank in securing the ingredients they need or help your local animal shelter purchase supplies. Plus, local groups are often incredibly efficient with spending, which means the majority of the money you give will go straight to the causes that need it the most. Another benefit to donating locally is that you can immediately see the impact in your own community.<\/p>\n

If you would prefer to make an impact on a global scale, there are many amazing charities that help millions of people during their times of greatest need including United Way, Habitat for Humanity, The Salvation Army, the American Red Cross or the organizations targeting specific diseases like heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer\u2019s, etc. These charities are household names, and will often offer donors a chance to come together at races, fundraisers and networking events throughout the year.<\/p>\n

Whether you opt to stay small or go big, you can\u2019t go wrong. As long as you\u2019re supporting a reputable charity.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Make Sure Your Charity Is A Real Non-Profit <\/strong><\/h3>\n

The first rule of thumb in choosing a charity is a simple one: Unless an organization is set up as a 501c3 non-profit, it\u2019s not<\/em> a charity and you have no real way of knowing where your money is going.<\/p>\n

While not all 501c3 non-profits function as charities, any organization operating as a charity must be a 501c3 in order to get your donations. Verifying an organization’s status not only ensures that your money will be used in the way that you intended, it also means you can get a tax deduction for your donation. Only donations made to registered 501c3 non-profits are eligible for a tax deduction.<\/p>\n

Any legitimate charity should be happy to show you its 501c3 certificate and tax ID number, it should also be on its website. It should also be willing to offer transparency into what percentage of its donations are dispersed to fund programming vs. what percentage goes toward covering overhead costs. If a charity is not willing to offer up that info, that\u2019s a red flag.<\/p>\n

You can start your search for a reputable charity online. For example, on social media, you can see how often a charity posts and engages with followers, the type of things they share, and click through to their website to see if things look legit. If you find that your charity seems to exist in a black hole with no solid public information, they might not be on the up-and-up. After you\u2019ve checked out their website, continue your search by verifying an organization’s information on the following sites:<\/p>\n