The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is the day now that's become known as Giving Tuesday -- a movement to fuel charitable giving during the holiday season. Before you donate though, make sure the charity checks out. Here are some links to help with your research.
UPenn's Center for High Impact Philanthropy — This collaborative nonprofit helps philanthropists boasts of helping philanthropists make the biggest different possible when they invest or donate. The center offers investment in a wide range of causes.
Charity Navigator — Search this database to see if your charity shows up. Founded in 2001, Charity Navigator analyzes nonprofit financial documents and rates charities on a numbers-based system they say is unbiased and objective.
Charity Navigator Holiday Giving Guide — Top 10 List of highest and lowest-rated charities by cause and a 5-step checklist for giving to charities.
Internal Revenue Service: Charities & Non-Profits — Tax information for charities and other nonprofits that includes how to apply for tax exempt status, annual reporting and filing, how to stay exempt, educational resources and guidelines as well as other related links.
FTC's Consumer Information on Charity Scams — This is the Federal Trade Commission's guide for what you need to know if you’re thinking about giving to a charity. The information pulled together on this page includes tips that should help you avoid becoming the victim of a charity scam. It also highlights some of the most frequently used scams people fall for.
