WARSAW — ‘Tis the season to be giving and while many legitimate charities are accepting holiday donations, there are also those seeking to exploit the generous, yet unsuspecting.

Information is key when it comes to choosing a charity. According to Amy Kill of the Better Business Bureau, northern Indiana, a legitimate charity should willingly disclose any information a donor may ask for, such as financial information and how it spends its donor dollars.

“Charity stewards should be comfortable answering any questions potential donors have about their organization and donors should feel comfortable in asking the charity representatives about their projected goals, short- term and long-term,” Kill said.

Reputable online resources can be helpful. For example, Kill recommends Guidestar, which provides access to organizations’ IRS Form 990s, which disclose such information as CEO salaries. It also breaks down how much money the organization uses for its programs and how much it puts into administration and fundraising expenses.

“BBB charity standards require that organizations spend at least 65 percent of their total program expenses on program activities,” Kill said. “No more than 35 percent of related contributions should go toward a charity’s fundraising expenses.”

There are other clues that a charity may not be legitimate.

“If a charity comes to donors with a high-pressure sales pitch or a slick mailing campaign, their scam-radar should come to full alert,” Kill said.

An organization should also be accessible.

“Legitimate charities have a physical location, working telephone numbers and offices with staff members or volunteers who can answer questions,” Kill said. “Donors should be able to contact the office and discuss the charities’ activities.”

Fundraising firms should also send up warning signals, she said. Sometimes more than half of a donor’s money could end up going to the firm and not to the cause the donor wishes to support.

The BBB provides the following tips to help donors:

• Look up the exact name of a charity. Charities that support the same cause often have similar names. Scammers may use a name similar to a legitimate charity.
• Avoid on-spot donations: Don’t be pressured to make an immediate decision.
• Be cautious of emotional pleas that may exploit the holiday season.
• Avoid charities that don’t readily disclose information, as this is a critical red flag for donors.
• Visit bbb.org/northernindiana to research whether or not a charity has met the in-depth evaluations of the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability.

To learn more, donors can visit the Better Business Bureau of Northern Indiana’s website, where they can research local charities. They can also call the local BBB office at (260) 423-4433.