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BBB and local charities work together to support #GivingTuesday

by jmaloni

Submitted

Mon, Dec 1st 2014 01:45 pm

Charities recognized for earning BBB charity accreditation in 2014

Better Business Bureau Foundation of Upstate New York is working with local charities in support of #GivingTuesday.

#GivingTuesday follows Thanksgiving, "Black Friday," "Small Business Saturday" and "Cyber Monday." It is a day where many charities work to earn one's holiday support. BBB encourages donors to seek out reputable charities to support on #GivingTuesday and throughout the holiday season.

"#GivingTuesday makes conducting thorough research even more critical. It is important that donors know they are giving to a reputable organization," said Warren Clark, president of Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York. "We need to remember that every dollar given to an unscrupulous organization is a dollar that will not go to our community, which is an unfortunate outcome that donor research can prevent."

BBB of Upstate New York's charity review program, which celebrates one year in operation on #GivingTuesday, has reviews on hundreds of charities in upstate New York. Some of these charities worked with BBB to become accredited, going through a rigorous evaluation to meet BBB's "20 Standards of Charity Accountability."

The following charities earned BBB charity accreditation:

Boys & Girls Club of Buffalo, Buffalo

Brian Moorman's P.U.N.T. Foundation, Orchard Park

Child and Family Services of Erie County, Buffalo

Cradle Beach Camp, Angola

Food Bank of Central New York, Syracuse

Food Bank of the Southern Tier, Elmira

Food Bank of Western New York, Buffalo

Friends of Night People, Buffalo

Lollypop Farm-Humane Society of Greater Rochester, Fairport

Restore the Earth Foundation, Ithaca

Roswell Park Alliance Foundation, Buffalo

Schoharie Area Long Term Inc. (SALT) Recovery, Schoharie

SPCA Serving Allegany County, Wellsville

United Way of Cattaraugus County, Olean

United Way of the Greater Capital Region, Albany

United Way of Seneca County, Waterloo

The Veterans One-stop Center of WNY Inc., Buffalo

Water for South Sudan, Rochester

BBB offers advice to help you give wisely this #GivingTuesday:

Every dollar makes a difference. Your gift, no matter how small, is appreciated. Don't feel pressured to give more than you can afford.

Do your own research. No matter what you hear from friends or read on social media, you do need to your own research on a charity. Consider using BBB's "20 Standards of Charity Accountability" to help in this process.

How old is that heartwarming story? Keep emotions in check. The rule of thumb for charitable fundraising appeals is that stories and pictures shouldn't be more than three years old. Be on the lookout for dated clothing in pictures and other indicators of age in a story. If an organization is sharing dated accomplishments, donors should wonder what they have done with recent donations.

Be wary of vague donation requests. If someone asks you for money, but won't or can't tell you what they're going to use it for, consider it a red flag.

What's in a name? Beware of copycats. We have all had the experience of missing one letter in an email address. But understand that one letter in a charity's name being different is equally as critical. Make sure the charity you are giving to is the same one that you intended to give to.

To find trustworthy charities, rely on BBB. Charities can demonstrate they are trustworthy by undergoing a rigorous evaluation based on holistic standards such as the "20 Standards for Charity Accountability." Get free access to BBB charity reports at Give.org.

For scam alerts, tips and other information, visit bbb.org.

For more than 30 years, Better Business Bureau Foundation of Upstate New York has been helping to educate and inform the public. BBB Foundation of Upstate New York is the philanthropic arm of the Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York and, together, these organizations work to embolden trust, ethics, accountability and transparency in the region.

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