Find A Reputable Organization

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Instructions

Find A Reputable Organization

1. Before you give away your hard-earned money, you need to make sure that your donation is going to a reputable organization.
   
   1. Start with the IRS, which provides a list of all of the organizations that have received tax-exempt status. These are the groups that have been approved by the government because they have complied with the laws surrounding the forming, organizing, and running of a non-profit.
   
   2. The Give.org site provides a database of approved organizations, as well as general advice and information for donors.
   
   3. The Federal Trade Commission lists tips for donors such as:
   
   * Ask for written information. A legitimate charity will give you information outlining its mission, how your donation will be distributed, and proof that your contribution is tax-deductible.
   
   * Watch out for similar-sounding names. Some phony charities use names that sound or look like those of respected, legitimate organizations. (The same kind of trick that schools like "Harvurd" and "Kornell" use.)
   
   * Refuse high-pressure appeals. Legitimate charities won't push you to give on the spot.
   
   * Don't send cash. For security and tax record purposes, pay by check. Write the official name of the charity on your check.
   4. The Better Business Bureau has a portion of its site devoted to donating money. Go to their charity section to get reports on specific charities, ask about a charity, lodge a complaint against a charity, and get more tips on charitable giving.
   
   5. The Chronicle of Philanthropy provides the latest news on the goings on in the non-profit world. This site also highlights charities that have been identified by watchdog groups as especially deserving and reputable.

Next: Decide How Much To Donate

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[beamer03]

on 8/12/2009 Please help my youth pastor. They are in need of some repairs on their vehicle. They are trying to get grant through an orginazation called modest needs. Please go to www.modestneeds.org and look for request #117746. I would greatly appreciate it as they have helped me so much and I know they could really use the financial help. Here is their story I copied from the modest needs web page.



We are Youth Pastors at a church in Poinciana, Florida. As this is a brand new church, we do not receive any compensation from the church. We have had to work full time at other jobs to pay our bills for the past 4 years while still working full time at the church as well. Both my husband and I worked full time jobs until the 23rd of July when my husband's job laid him off. He has been looking for another job applying everywhere with no such help.

Then, we had some trouble with our brakes...