Tips for Holiday Charity Giving

Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard offers some tips on how to avoid holiday consumer scams:

Make sure you know how your donation will be distributed and how much actually goes to the charity itself, rather than to administrative costs.

Except for the well known traditional bell ringers, don’t give cash and make sure your check is payable to the charity, not an individual.

Never give out personal information to a solicitor either by phone, mail or at your door.

And never give a donation to a charity that offers to take your donation directly from your account, or asks you to send a donation by courier/overnight express mail, or asks you to wire your donation. Donate directly to the organization, either in person—at an event sponsored by the charity—or through the US Postal Service.