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Secretary of State Jena Griswold Offers Tips for Donating Wisely This Holiday Season

Denver, December 19, 2019 – With the busy holiday charitable giving season in full swing, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold is reminding all of those who are planning on sharing their generosity to make sure they are giving wisely.

“Charitable organizations mean so much to Colorado families and I urge everyone who is interested in giving to support their favorite charities,” said Secretary Griswold. “At the same time, around the holiday season we do see an increase in those looking to exploit the kindness of others for their own financial gain, which is why it’s important to give, but also to give wisely.”

The Secretary of State’s office has produced a number of tips to help people navigate charitable giving. Nearly 13,000 charities have registered with the Secretary of State, making www.sos.state.co.us an additional invaluable resource for those looking for information on nonprofit organizations.

Some tips to keep in mind include:

When giving to a charity, it’s important to confirm the organization is registered and current at checkthecharity.com.

When receiving solicitation calls, ask if the caller is a paid solicitor, and if so, ask for their name and the name of their company, the paid solicitor’s registration number, and the percent of your donation that will go to charity. If they refuse to give you any of this information, do not give to that charity.

Make a note of the representations made regarding how your donation would be used, e.g. what charitable purposes or programs would benefit and whether or not anyone will benefit locally. Call the charity itself to confirm the details of the solicitation and any local benefits.

Watch out for charities with names that sound similar to well-known, reputable organizations. Sometimes these sound-alike names are simply intended to confuse donors.

Be careful to not click on links to charities on unfamiliar websites or in texts or emails. These may take you to a lookalike website where you will be asked to provide personal financial information or to click on something that downloads harmful malware into your computer.

Don’t assume that charity recommendations on Facebook, blogs or other social media have already been vetted.

Ask whether the charitable contribution is tax-deductible, and verify with your tax advisor or the IRS. The fact that a charity has a tax identification number does not necessarily mean your contribution is tax-deductible. Ask for a receipt showing the amount of the contribution and stating that it is tax-deductible.

Be wary if a charity fails to provide detailed information about its identity, mission, and finances and how the donation will be used. Reputable charities will gladly provide the information requested.

There is no need to give on the spot, whether to a telemarketer or door-to-door solicitor. If you feel pressured or uncomfortable, just say, "No, thank you" or hang up.

Do not pay in cash. Donate by check made payable to the charity or use the charity's website to donate by credit card.

If you believe that you have been solicited by a fraudulent charity, you can file a complaint with the Secretary of State or the Attorney General.

Attorney General, 1-800-222-4444, www.coag.gov
Secretary of State, 303-894-2200, www.sos.state.co.us