Why It Is Important To Check the Transparency of a Charity Organization
More transparency leads to more donations. Honest and
ethical charity organizations build the trust of donors. According to the
National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS), more than 1.5 million
nonprofit organizations are registered in the U.S that means donors have plenty
of options to choose from. But how many of these organizations are sincere to
work towards the cause? Donors want their hard earned money to actually go to
them who are in need. It is important to check if the organization is
legitimate. Donors should do some research on their part to make sure they are
not contributing to a fraud organization.
During the time of natural calamities, it is often
seen that many non-profit organizations mushroom up and claim that they want to
help those in need. During this time, we see many social media aids which grab our
attention. Innocent donors fall victim to sham non-profit organizations.
According to a report, 22 percent of all fraud cases in the United States
happen in the non-profit sector.
What Donors Look For In A Non-Profit Organization?
Donors want an honest
and ethical charity organization dedicated to the cause. Organizations that
don’t squander resources are the preference of donors. According to a report
Americans gave 410 billion to charities in the year 2017. Clearly, donors are
more than willing to help a cause.
Mission
Donors want to give to a non-profit whose mission
aligns with the values of the donor. For example, your charity is working
towards the water-crisis in a certain city, but the donor doesn’t believe that
water crisis can happen in a first world country in today's’ time; then you
fail to align with the values of the donor. It is important to first educate
the donor about the cause.
It is important to notify the donor if the
organization’s mission changed over time; so that the donor doesn’t feel cheated.
Tax-Exempt Status
Let donors know if your organization is given
tax-exempt status. IRS states “To be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code, an organization must be organized and operated
exclusively for exempt purposes set forth in section 501(c)(3), and none of its
earnings may inure to any private shareholder or individual. In addition, it
may not be an action organization, i.e., it may not attempt to influence
legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate
in any campaign activity for or against political candidates.”
It is important to practice transparency; if the
organization has yet to achieve the tax-exempt status, let your donors know
beforehand.
Annual Reports
A user can check the annual reports of a non-profit
organization to gain a better understanding of how the money is being spent by
the organization. Annual reports build the trust of donors in an organization.
They feel informed.
In annual reports the amount of donation received,
name of the donors, thank you notes to the donors and how the organization
helped various people are published.
Tools
There are various tools like charity navigator,
GuideStar which rank the non-profit organizations for free. Donors can take
help from these tools to scan sham non-profit organizations.
Conclusion
Honest and ethical charity organizations are not easy
to find in today’s world; especially when there are so many fraud cases in
recent times. It is important to do full research before trusting a non-profit
organization. There are many non-profit organizations which are dedicated to
the cause wholeheartedly.
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