Is It Legit?
A few people wrote in and asked questions after my recent post about various fundraising tools for the web. They wondered how exactly you could find out if a charity is real before giving money to them. There are a few ways to go about this. You can search within their state. However, there could be times where public records could be a bit nebulous. Someone may have a name registered as a D.B.A. (Doing Business As) or a Corporation, but it does not mean they are a 501(3)c non profit.
When an organization mentions in its literature that it is 501(3)c pending, it means that the necessary paperwork has been submitted, but the process will take some time. Some organizations wish to post this, to let people know they are taking the steps and will soon be a 501(3)c. That designation allows them to legally solicit funds. You may, of course, give money to help their cause prior to that, but they cannot openly solicit (mount donation drives), and it will not be tax deductible for you.
Guidestar has a good resource (http://guidestar.com) for beginning your search on a charity. Of course, this does not mean the charity meets your personal standards as far as mission goes. That is up to you to choose a charity to give to or volunteer for whose cause you agree with. However, it will answer the primary question: Are they a real organization?
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