Kick the Tires: Properly selecting a charity and avoiding scams this holiday season
by Paul Downey, Senior Community Centers
Giving to a charity each year is easy for most of us. We have a passion for a particular cause and want to help those less fortunate than ourselves. When you have a personal tie to an organization, giving your hard-earned dollars is simple.
According to Charity Navigator, in 2012, individual donating increased 3.9 percent to $223 billion from the year prior. However, what happens when you don’t have a charity in mind or you are new to donating financially?
Often during this time of year, con artists take advantage of the generosity of San Diegans over the phone, via the mail, in person and online. These individuals take the hard-earned money for themselves, rather than for reputable and legitimate non-profit organizations that serve the most vulnerable in our community.
You would not buy a car without “kicking the tires” would you? The same holds true for making a donation to charity.
Here are some quick tips to help you chose a legitimate organization and avoid being scammed:
Only give to a charity you know. Do your research on an organization before you donate. There are a variety of online resources that provide free access to comprehensive reports about non-profit organizations. Start with a visit to California Attorney General’s Registry of Charitable Trusts (oag.ca.gov/charities), Guidestar (guidestar.com) and Charity Navigator (charitynavigator.org). Plus, go to the organization’s website and really get a good understanding of what the charity does and who benefits from your donation.
Ask questions. Real charities are able to tell you how they use their donations and what portion of your contribution will go directly to the group they are trying to help. Ideally, at least 85 cents of every dollar raised should go directly to programs and services of the charitable organization, with the minimal amount remaining to underwrite things like rent, utilities and other operational expenses. Also, ask them for a 990 tax form. If they cannot give you this information—or hesitate for any reason in providing the document—don’t give them your money.
Do not send to a P.O. Box. Make sure the organization has an actual street address, where you can go and see the charity in action at anytime. Also, do not send cash and do not wire money.
Take precaution when donating online.Beware of phony websites and donate though a website that is secure by looking for “https” not “http.” Also, do not open unsolicited email appeals because they can be an attempt to attain important personal information.
Ask for a tour. Or even better, just show up unannounced. A reputable charity would be delighted to give you a tour on the spot.
There should be no hard sell. Walk away from anyone who says you must donate today or offers to come by your house to pick up a check. A reputable charity will be delighted to accept a gift today, next week, next month or even next year.
Here at Senior Community Centers, we are committed to transparency with our donors. Our website provides comprehensive financial information and details about all of our programs and services. Additionally, we are happy to provide any additional information requested by a donor via email, the mail or in-person. We are very excited about our “Fill A Plate” campaign, which is raising money from San Diegans to support feeding seniors in need. These vital meals keep seniors healthy and productive members of our community. Go to our website: servingseniors.org to get more information or to make a contribution.
The public can also support the campaign at various restaurants and bars throughout San Diego County who have made the pledge to donate a percentage of sales on a specific date or sales period. “Fill A Plate” is an easy way to support senior nutrition through the holidays, especially when many of us are fortunate to have a full plate every day.
When you donate this holiday season, follow these quick tips to make certain your charity is fiscally and socially responsible. You have every right to know your money is going where you want it to. Happy holidays!
Paul Downey is the president and CEO of Senior Community Centers, a nonprofit agency dedicated to keeping San Diego seniors healthy and independent. Learn more at servingseniors.org.
An end of the year message from Interim Mayor Gloria
Dear Friends,
This time last year, I had just been elected Council President for 2013 by my Council colleagues.
It was a tremendous honor, and I was looking forward to advancing policies that would strengthen our neighborhoods and our economy. We began the year with a new mayor who accomplished little, disrupted much and ultimately became a liability for our City. What occurred in those first nine months, well it’s nothing I could ever have imagined.
When I became Interim Mayor on August 30, it was my intention to accomplish as much as I possibly could in a short period of time. This time of year we all make our holiday lists. Here is a list of my Favorite Things we’ve done since I became Interim Mayor.
- Our new Downtown library, the San Diego Library @ Joan ^ Irwin Jacobs Common, opened after 30 years of planning and dreaming and reflects San Diego’s value of knowledge, technology, literacy, and education.
- The Convention Center expansion was approved which will create 7,000 permanent jobs and have an estimated economic impact of $700 million a year.
- The Workforce Housing Offset was updated increasing the funding stream for affordable housing options.
- I brought forth a project list for a $120 million infrastructure bond that includes $43,460,000 for street resurfacing and additional improvements made to libraries, fire stations, and storm drains. This infrastructure bond will be considered by my Council colleagues next month.
- Border relations were strengthened by regularly scheduled meetings with elected officials from the Baja region as well as City department leaders meeting with their Tijuana counterparts to make our shared region greater.
- The Prevailing Wage Ordinance was approved which is expected to result in safer and better monitored work sites, on-time completion, properly trained apprentices, and fewer construction defects, change orders, and cost overruns.
- A reorganization of City government was approved which will make our City’s operations run more smoothly and efficiently, save time and money, and invest in the development of our employees.
- We unveiled a groundbreaking Climate Action Plan that positions San Diego as a national leader in clean energy and a clean tech economy.
- The City Council approved dispersing $6 million of collected assessments to the San Diego Tourism Marketing District to re-launch marketing efforts to draw visitors to San Diego and create jobs.
- Our City’s lobbyists were re-hired ending a nine-month period where we had no one in Sacramento or Washington, D.C. vying for resources or funding for our City.
- I know these accomplishments happened because of the cooperative spirit of my Council colleagues, our City leadership team, the City Attorney, City employees, and all San Diegans.
Together we helped our City get back on its feet and moving in the right direction again. There is more work to be done between now and March when a new mayor takes office, and I promise you I won’t be slowing down anytime soon.
Finally, I hope you’ll be able to join me at the State of the City Address on January 15 at 6:00 p.m. at the Balboa Theatre to celebrate our progress and envision our future.
The year started out naughty and ended up nice. I wish you all a joyful and safe holiday season.
As always, thank you for the opportunity to serve.
Respectfully,
Todd Gloria
Interim Mayor
Correction:
[See “Exploring Balboa Park,” Vol. 14, Issue 11]
Sixteen years ago, San Diego received a musical gift for the holidays and it has been reopened this time of year at the Old Globe ever since.
Now through Dec. 28, the stage will again be transformed into a land called Whoville to retell Dr. Seuss’ story of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” It was borrowed from his original book, then conceived and produced for the stage by The Globe’s then artistic director Jack O’Brien.
According to present artistic director Barry Edelstein, O’Brien realized he had something of great entertainment value, but after the 10th year he did make some minor adjustments and added a few lyrics. He even introduced it to Broadway in 2006 and 2007.
Grinch Show Facts – Before his Globe appointment Edelstein was most recently the director of the Shakespeare Initiative at New York City’s Public Theater. He oversaw all of the company’s Shakespeare productions, including its famous Shakespeare in the Park series in Central Park.