TALLAHASSEE -- Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson is reminding consumers to do their homework before donating money to charities. People can check a charity's registration and funding history to ensure the organization is legitimate and to determine if donations are being spent prudently. Many charities collect about half their annual contributions in November and December during the holiday season.
Florida law requires most charities soliciting in Florida to register with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services each year and provide financial information about income and expenses. Religious, educational and government based charities are exempt. Registered charities are also required to disclose how much they have raised the previous year, how much has been spent on administrative costs including salaries, rent, etc., the amount spent on fundraising, and the dollars that have actually been spent on the charitable purpose. There are more than 14,000 charities registered with the department.
"Consumers should first ensure a charity seeking donations is not a scam by checking on the registration or determining that the charity is exempt from registration," Bronson said. "But there is a lot more information available for people to determine if they think enough of their donation is going to program services."
Consumers can find out if a charity is registered by calling the department's Consumer Helpline at 1-800-HELPFLA (1-800-FLAYUDA for Spanish) or by visiting http://www.800helpfla.com. They can also check the complaint history of an organization.
Bronson also provided the following tips to consider when deciding whether to donate to an organization:
-- Don't judge an organization based on an impressive-sounding name. Find out what it actually does.
-- Be wary of emotional appeals and organizations that have only vague plans for spending the funds they collect.
-- Never give cash. Write a check payable only to an organization, not an individual.
-- Be wary of organizations that offer to send a "runner" to pick up your donation. Reputable charities are willing to wait for your contribution.
-- Consumers have the right to ask for an organization's financial report and its federal tax identification number, the latter of which you'll need to claim your contribution as a tax deduction.
-- Ask the organization to send you written information about its activities.
-- If an organization is not registered or properly exempt, contact the department.
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