In celebration of “Giving Tuesday” approaches, charities ramp up their efforts to secure funding. So do bad actors wanting to capitalize on both the hectic nature and the genuine altruism of the holiday season. Before you donate to a charity, please consider the following five tips: If a charity pushes you to donate quickly, it’s probably a scam. Take your time and do your research. We recommend Charity Navigator to evaluate an unfamiliar charity. Do not donate to charities that ask you to donate via cash, gift cards, cryptocurrency or wire transfers. If you intend to direct your Required Minimum Distribution to a charity for tax purposes, make sure it is a 501(c)(3) public charity. Don’t trust your caller ID if a charity contacts you by phone. If you’re interested in donating, do not do so over the phone. Ask for contact information or a web address so you can follow up. Be wary of crowdfunding and social media platforms. While these can highlight legitimate needs, they are not well-monitored and can be easy vehicles for people with bad intentions. Ideally, you can take time to plan your annual charitable donations during a less hectic period, so you can research each charity thoroughly and understand the impact of your donation. If you have any questions about charitable donations, please contact us. We’d be glad to help.
Charitable giving
Happy Veteran’s Day from a grateful nation
It seems appropriate that one week after the general election in the United States, we get the opportunity to thank the people who fought to preserve our right to vote in it. We’re joining the rest of this proud nation in thanking our Veterans, today and every day. To celebrate Veterans Day 2014, we’re making a financial commitment to the Wounded Warriors project. We’re proud to align ourselves with this worthy organization by joining the Advance Guard monthly giving program, because we want our support to last long after today. According to its website, the Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) serves veterans and service members who incurred a physical or mental injury, illness, or wound, co-incident to their military service on or after September 11, 2001 and their families. To date, the program has served more than 58,000 retired military and nearly 8,200 families. We chose this program as a means to honor our military, but there at least five other ways to say thank you. 1) Just say thank you. Take a moment to shake an active or retired military service personnel’s hand and thank him or her. We don’t think it’s possible to thank them enough for the service, commitment and sacrifice they willingly make. 2) Hire a veteran. The military experience fosters commitment and teamwork, perfect qualities in a co-worker. 3) Visit a Veteran’s Home, or visit a home-bound veteran. 4) Offer to provide foster care for pets of service members serving overseas through the Guardian Angels for Soldiers project. 5) Take part in the Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes program and send a greeting card to active military service personnel.