Six questions to ask before you donate
A well-known name is not the same thing as a good fit. Before you send money, it helps to slow down and ask the same questions of every charity on your list. The answers should be easy to find. If they are not, ask the organization directly.
The questions
- How much of the money raised goes to the program, and how much pays for administration and fundraising?
- Can the charity explain its mission in plain language, and do the projects match that explanation?
- Are the goals measurable, both for this year and for the longer work?
- Where are they on that plan right now? A roadmap without a current position is only a slogan.
- Do you agree with the methods they use to reach the goal?
- Would you be comfortable supporting this group again next year, not only this once?
Those questions are the same ones we use when we research a charity. None of them requires a finance degree. They do require a page, a report, or a person who will answer.
What a clear answer sounds like
A useful answer names a result. “We housed 140 people last winter and spent 86 percent of expenses on shelter and case management” is clearer than “we change lives.” A useful answer also says what did not work. Charities that only publish successes are harder to trust than charities that show the gap between the plan and the year they just finished.
If you still have doubts, check the public record with the IRS or your state charity office, and read the annual report. You are allowed to ask. A group that welcomes the question is easier to stay with.