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BBB Provides Safety Tips For Giving Tuesday

A consumer watchdog agency is providing tips to protect your pocketbook on Giving Tuesday and all holiday season.

With the spirit of charity very strong this time of year, the Better Business Bureau of Western Ontario wants consumers who donate to charities to feel that their money will be going to the people and services it's meant to help.

Tuesday is Giving Tuesday, a day in which people are encouraged to give donations of money and time to their favourite causes. Giving Tuesday follows the unofficial holiday traditions of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with the focus being on spending money on those less fortunate.

The BBB says charitable organizations depend on the winter holidays for as much as one-third of their total annual donations. With that in mind, the BBB is offering these five tips to help donors give wisely.

  • Watch out for name similarities. The BBB says organizations seeking help for the same cause often have similar-sounding names. Make sure you know the exact name of the charity you want to donate to.
  • Don't be pressured into donating to unfamiliar organizations. Charitable groups are more common in public locations during the holiday season. Do not allow any charity to pressure you into donating on-the-spot. Reputable groups will not resort to the hard sell to get your support.
  • Don't be swayed by emotional appeals. Make sure that you research the organization completely to ensure your contribution will be handled lawfully and ethically. The BBB says less reputable marketers have been known to take advantage of the holidays to make heart-wrenching appeals to donors.
  • Be wary of charities that don't disclose. While there is no law in Ontario saying charities must do so, those that do not disclose requested information to the BBB should be a red flag for donors. Visit the website www.give.org to see if your selected group is non-disclosure.
  • Rely on standards-based evaluations. The BBB says reputable charities can show their trustworthiness by agreeing to comprehensive evaluations. For free access to those charity reports, click here.
The BBB also encourages consumers to talk to their children about giving to worthwhile causes. A recent survey by Wise Giving Alliance says half of all millennial parents check out a charity before donating, though 61% of those have discussed charities with their kids over the past year.

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