With more than 86,000 registered charities in Canada*, the decision of which veterans and military-affiliated organization to donate to this Remembrance Day can be a tough one. To help make the decision easier, BBB Wise Giving Alliance, the national charity monitoring association, has developed a set of wise donation tips to help donors make safe donation decisions.
BBB Wise Giving Alliance and the Canada Revenue Agency offers the following tips on giving to veterans and military-affiliated organizations:
- Mistaken Identity: Watch out for name confusions. Many veterans’ charities include virtually the same words in different order or slightly different form.
- Clear Program Description: Look for a clear description of the organization’s programs in its appeals and on its website. If the charity says it is helping veterans, does it explain how (financial assistance, shelter, counseling) and where it is doing so?
- Telemarketing Cautions: Telemarketing can be a costly method of fundraising unless carefully managed. If called, do not hesitate to ask for written information on the charity’s programs and finances before making a donation decision.
- On-the-Spot Donation Decisions: Be wary of excessive pressure in fundraising. Don’t be pressured to make an immediate on-the-spot donation. Charities should welcome your gift whenever you want to send it.
- Donating Used Clothing and Other Goods: Find out how the charity benefits from the collection and resale of used clothing and other in-kind gifts. Sometimes the charity receives only a small portion of the resale price of the item or may have a contractual arrangement to get a flat fee for every household pick-up, no matter what the contents.
- Check with Outside Sources before Giving: In addition, check out other charity monitoring resources such as the Canada Revenue Charity Listings to confirm if an organization is actually a registered charity.
*Charities programs facts and figures, Canada Revenue Agency: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/charities-giving/charities-media-kit/charities-program-facts-figures.html
For more tips you can trust, visit bbb.org.
