Financial transparency increases donor confidence. Transparency includes more than financial information. Help your donors understand the purpose and benefits of overhead costs. Always take it to your mission.
We analyze governance practices and the financial health of organizations to help donors find transparent, efficient and sustainable charities. Make sure that your charitable contributions are made through the right and documented channels once the money gets out of your hands. Not only should a non-profit organization offer secure options for donating online, but it should also be able to track your donation. We reviewed the charity's last two 990 forms to see if the charity has reported any asset diversions.
Large, effective, well-managed organizations will pay their staff reasonable salaries to do high-quality work. Charity Navigator states that this allows for “full deliberation and a diversity of ideas on governance and other organizational issues.” In the U.S. In the U.S., Charity Navigator consults IRS Form 990 to determine if at least five independent members of the board of directors constitute the majority of votes. While these organizations and causes may not have the most significant impact on people or animals, the compassionate philanthropist feels good because their donation goes to an organization close to their heart.
Since citizens donate much of their own money to charities, it's imperative to know how to donate responsibly. The IRS requires charities to disclose on their Form 990 any loans granted or granted by current and former officers, directors, trustees, key employees and other disqualified individuals. Most donations go to low-income families in developing countries through cash transfers, and a small part goes to shipping costs, which include salaries, rental and cash delivery infrastructure, and fund-raising. BBB Wise Giving AllianceThe Better Business Bureau aims to help donors protect themselves and make responsible decisions about donations by providing information on the effectiveness of charities, financial management, compliance, fundraising materials and tactics, and other indicators.
We checked the charity's website to see if it has published the most recently filed IRS Form 990 (a direct link to the charity's 990 on an external site is sufficient). Resources for researching organizations, tips for detecting fraud in charitable organizations, and tips for making important donations. Not only should you make sure that the organization you're considering is legitimate and not fraudulent, but you should also know what type of people are running the organizations, make comparisons with similar organizations, and determine how effectively your money will be used. You can easily set up and customize donation pages, campaigns and surveys to collect donor data directly in Keela.
The National Council of Nonprofit Organizations has excellent guidance on what you should include in your privacy policy, complaint policy, conflict of interest policy, and fundraising policy.
