COLORADO SPRINGS — There are many charities banking on your support this holiday season. With “Giving Tuesday” and “Colorado Gives Day” on the horizon, News5 is looking into some ways to safeguard your donation to make sure it gets to the people who need it most.
”We are out constantly trying to get sponsors and fundraise to raise the money to take the veterans to Washington DC,” said Barbara Harris, a member of the Honor Flight of Southern Coloradoboard.
The local nonprofit organization is coming off a successful and emotional all-expenses paid trip for 53 veterans to see the monuments build in their honor in our nation’s capital.
”We want people to get involved because believe me I’ve never been in the military and I am hooked. I cry on almost every trip because I see what it means to these men and women,” said Harris.
She says this holiday season the organization is hoping people will come forward with the financial supportto continue providing these experiences for the heroes living in our communities. There are at least 130 veterans on the waiting list hoping to go.
”The average trip is about between $45,000 to $50,000 because you have flights, buses, food, hotel," said Harris. "Everybody is a volunteer. There are no salaries. Everything that comes in goes toward the benefit of the veteran.”
Adah Rodriguez at the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado says this time of year is always so important for organizations that rely on our generous donations, but it’s a busy time for scams too.
”For many charities the last quarter of the year is when they bring in the majority of their revenue, so Giving Tuesday is really important and with that fraudsters take advantage," said Rodriguez. "Creating false organizations, also pretending to be someone from a legit organization.”
It’s why consumer experts suggest dedicating extra time to learn more about the background of the organization asking for your money and identifying safe ways to give.
”Not only needing to vet and verify websites and links, but also the individuals," said Rodriguez. "So, not giving on the spot, but taking the time to visit the website directly. As many touches as you can to make sure you are putting the money in the hands of the right person.”
Harris agrees that local charities should go the extra mile to earn the trust of consumers because once people lose money trying to donate it has a lasting impact.
”They struggle because of the fraudsters and the scammers that are out there," said Harris. "Really and truly, today I give to local. I give locally because I know then I can see where my dollar is going, what it’s doing, and how it’s impacting my community.”
The good news is there are several tools for you online to help you find lists of verified charities and even to learn more about how exactly your funds are spent.
Here are some of those resources to help you make the best decisions with your donation dollars this holiday season:
https://www.guidestar.org/NonprofitDirectory.aspx
https://www.bbb.org/local-bbb/bbb-of-southern-colorado
https://www.charitynavigator.org/
If you spot something you think is a scam it’s important to report it, so consumer protection organizations can help us get the word out to protect people from losing money.
Here are some places to report possible scams:
https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker
https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/
https://www.stopfraudcolorado.gov/
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