It is a basic human instinct to reach out and help a child in need. To make this job more convenient, many adults decide to assist by giving to charities that are specifically designed to meet the unique needs of youngsters. From medical charities to social programs meant to level the playing field for underprivileged youth, a myriad of nonprofits exist to help youngsters. Unfortunately, not all of these organizations are legitimate and some are downright frauds.



While not all children's charities are bogus, per se, some simply do not put as much funding into helping youngsters as they should. High operational and fundraising expenses tend to mean that a charity spends more time making money and paying its employees than actually assisting youth. In addition, many groups use professional fundraising groups to increase their cash flow. The problem here, in many cases, is that those professional fundraisers siphon off a good percentage of donations before a dime makes it to the kids the money is supposed to help.

So, how can donors protect themselves and ensure that their hard-earned donation dollars go to groups that actually help children? There are a number of ways donors can protect themselves from bogus or less-than-efficient children's charities. They include:

•Vetting charities personally – It is often better to forego requests for donations and to make charity giving a proactive venture. This ensures donors have the time to check into a charity's background, review its reputation and see how it spends its money. Ideally, a reputable charity will have the right IRS tax-deductible status and will have financial records that show it spends most of its incoming money on the programs it claims to support.

•Saying no to telephone solicitations – Charities often make use of the telephone to reach potential donors. While many incoming calls of this nature do come from reputable charities, this not always the case. Even when the call is for a reputable charity, it is possible that paid fundraisers are placing the calls. In this case, a percentage of the donation will go to the fundraising company before money makes it to the charity and its programs. Keep in mind, it is never a good idea to give personal financial account information out over the phone unless the recipient of that information is known. If there is any question or concern, do not accept solicitation calls in this manner. Instead, give directly to the charity in question if it is of interest.

•Watch out for door-to-door solicitation – It is never a good idea to take a door-to-door solicitor on his or her word. Before donating anything, ask for identification and check with the charity in question. Some reputable charities do sell items door to door and solicit contributions in this manner, as well. Reputable charities, however, will expect and welcome telephone calls to check on the legitimacy of those they have working in the field. Do check by calling. If a solicitor is too pushy, be wary. If aggression or rudeness are displayed, contact law enforcement authorities.

Giving to children's charities is an excellent way to help make a difference in the lives of youngsters. Watching out to make sure money goes to the right place, however, is just plain smart.