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To make sure your donations count, do some research before you give to a charity. Here are some things to do to learn more about a charity and avoid donating to a scam.

  • Four Things To Do Before You Donate to a Charity
  • Phone Calls Asking You To Donate
  • How You Pay When You Donate
  • How To Avoid Donating to a Fake Charity
  • Donating on Social Media
  • Donating Things Instead of Money
  • Report Charity Scams

Four Things To Do Before You Donate to a Charity

  1. Search online for the cause you care about. Search for terms that describe the cause — like “hurricane relief” or “homeless kids” — plus phrases like “best charity” or “highly rated charity.” Some organizations like BBB Wise Giving Alliance and Charity Watch have curated lists of well-rated charities. Once you find a specific charity you’re considering giving to, search its name plus “complaint,” “review,” “rating,” “fraud,” or “scam.” If you find bad reviews, consider finding another organization.
  2. Check out the charity’s website. Does it give you details about the programs you want to support or how it uses donations? How much of your donation will go directly to support the programs you care about? If you can’t find detailed information about a charity’s mission and programs, be suspicious.
  3. Find out if the fundraiser and charity are registered. Most states require charities and their fundraisers to register with the state regulator. Check to see if a fundraiser and the charity they’re calling on behalf of are registered with your state’s charity regulator.
  4. Check to see if the donation will be tax deductible. If this is important to you, confirm that the organization you’re donating to is registered with the IRS as a tax-exempt organization. Look up the organization in the IRS’s Tax Exempt Organization Search Tool.

Phone Calls Asking You To Donate

If someone calls, asking you to donate, ask important questions:

  • What is the charity’s exact name, website, and mailing address? Some dishonest telemarketers use names that sound like large well-known charities to confuse you. Confirm this information before you donate.
  • How much of my donation will go directly to the program I want to help? The caller is most likely a paid fundraiser, not the charity itself. After the fundraiser gives you their answer, call the organization directly and ask them, too. Or see if the information is on the charity’s website. What else does the charity spend money on? Some fundraising can be very expensive, leaving the charity with little money to spend on its programs.
  • Is your organization a charity or a Political Action Committee (PAC)? Not every call seeking a donation is from a charity. Some calls that sound like calls from a charity might actually be from a PAC. Donations to PACs aren’t tax-deductible and the PAC will use the money in a different manner than a charity would.
  • Will my donation be tax deductible? To be sure, look up the charity in the IRS’s Tax Exempt Organization Search Tool. If donations really are tax deductible, the organization will be listed there. Donations to PACs are not tax deductible.

Rules callers should follow

Fundraising calls are allowed even if your number is on the National Do Not Call Registry. If you want fundraisers to stop calling, ask them to put you on the charity’s do not call list.

When a charity’s fundraiser calls to ask you for a donation, they should follow some rules:

  • They can only call during specific times. They can’t call you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
  • They have to disclose their name and purpose. They have to tell you the name of the charity and if they’re calling to seek a donation.
  • They can’t deceive you or lie about:
    • the fundraiser’s connection to the charity
    • the mission or purpose of the charity
    • whether a donation is tax deductible
    • how a donation will be used, or how much of the donation actually goes to the charity’s programs
    • the charity’s affiliation with the government
  • They can’t use a robocall or prerecorded message to reach you unless you’re a member of the charity or a prior donor ― and even then they must offer you a way to opt out of future calls.
  • Their caller ID has to be truthful. The caller ID on your phone has to show the name of the charity or fundraiser, along with a number you can call to ask to be placed on the charity’s do not call list.

If a fundraiser breaks any of these rules, that might be a sign of their dishonesty. Consider finding another way to donate to the cause you care about.

How You Pay When You Donate

If you’re ready to donate

  • Pay attention to how you pay. If a charity says the only way to pay is with cryptocurrency, wiring money through Western Union or MoneyGram, a payment app, or a gift card, it’s likely a scam.
  • Donate by credit card or check. It’s the safest way to donate. If the charity doesn’t accept checks or credit cards, it’s likely a scam.
  • If you’re donating online, make sure the webpage where you enter your payment information has “https” in the URL. That means your information is encrypted and transmitted securely. But encryption alone doesn’t mean the site is legit. Scammers know how to encrypt, too.

After you’ve donated

  • Review your bank account and credit card statements. Make sure you’re only charged the amount you agreed to donate ― and that you’re not signed up to make a recurring donation if you didn’t mean to.
  • Keep a record of all donations. You may need them later if your donations are tax deductible.

If you sent money to a scammer, read What To Do if You Paid a Scammer for advice on how to try to recover your money.

How To Avoid Donating to a Fake Charity

  • Don’t rush. Scammers try to rush you into donating, so you don’t have time to research their claims or think it through.
  • Don’t trust your caller ID. Technology makes it easy for scammers to fake caller ID information. Calls can look like they come from your local area code, or from a specific organization, even if they don’t. In reality, the caller could be anywhere in the world.
  • If the fundraiser says you already pledged, stop and check. The caller or mailer may lie and say you already pledged to donate, or that you donated to them last year. They think that means you’ll be more willing to donate.
  • Listen carefully to the name of the charity, write it down, and then research it. Some scammers use names that sound a lot like real charities to confuse you. Do some research before you give.
  • Watch for sentimental claims with few details. Be suspicious if you hear a lot of vague sentimental claims — for example, that the charity helps families that can’t afford cancer treatment or veterans wounded at war who can’t work — but the charity doesn’t give specifics about how it will use your donation.
  • Don’t donate for a guaranteed prize. If someone guarantees you’ll win a prize or contest if you contribute, that’s a scam. You won’t win anything, and your donation will go to a scammer.
  • Don’t click on links or respond to unexpected texts. If you get an unexpected text message asking you to donate, don’t use the information in the text message. Contact the charity or visit its website and donate directly to the charity.
  • Don’t click on links or open an attachment in an email unless you know the sender. These attachments can include malware that can steal information from your computer.

Donating on Social Media

You might have seen social media posts from people asking for donations. Pay attention to who’s asking and who’s getting the money. Don’t assume these requests are legitimate, or that hyperlinks are accurate just because a friend posted it. It’s faster and safer to donate directly to the charity’s website.

  • Check where the link to donate goes. Does it go to a crowdfunding campaign? If so, any money you give will go directly to the crowdfunding organizer. Are you sure that person will pass the money on to the cause you want to support? Confirm with whoever posted the link that they know the person behind the fundraiser.
  • Research the charity. If the link is to a charity’s website, research the charity before you give.
  • Remember that donations to individuals are not tax deductible.
  • Watch for “look-alike” websites. These fraudulent websites may have URLs that are slightly different from well-known charities, all to draw in would-be donors. These sites might ask for personal information or install harmful material onto your device.    

Read Donating Through Crowdfunding and Fundraising Platforms for more advice on what to look for if you’re considering donating through a crowdfunding site or an online charitable fundraising platform.

Donating Things Instead of Money

Non-cash donations to a charity are called gifts-in-kind. Sometimes gifts-in-kind can be large ticket items, like a car or medical equipment that’s not being used, but they can also be used clothing or household goods.

When a charity uses and reports these donations properly, gifts-in-kind can be an important part of the charity’s programs. But a dishonest charity might mark up the value of donated goods to make their organization appear more financially successful than it really is.

When you research the charity, pay attention to how the organization spends its cash, not just the value of gifts-in-kind. If a charity is using gifts-in-kind to inflate its operations, but then spends most of its cash to pay executives or cover operating expenses, you may want to consider donating to a different organization.

Report Charity Scams

Report scams to

Give as much information as you can in your report, including the name of the fundraiser who contacted you, the name, phone number, website, and address of the charity, and any other details the fundraiser gave about the charity.

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