Stuff You Should Know Philanthropy: Humankind and Loving It
Nov 22, 2012
They dig into who actually gives the most and how low-income households often donate a higher share of their income. The conversation covers tax rules around charitable deductions and donating goods or vehicles. They explain how to evaluate charities using Form 990 and watchdogs. Scams, common fundraising tactics, and practical recordkeeping tips also come up.
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Check Program Spending Ratios
- Check charities' expense ratios and aim for at least 50–75% of donations going to programs.
- Use higher program percentages to judge operational efficiency before donating.
Use Form 990 And GuideStar
- Use GuideStar and Form 990 to inspect a charity's programs, management, and expenditures.
- Review Form 990 details to confirm how donations are allocated before giving.
Tornado Relief Charity Scam
- A Texas man created a fake tornado relief charity asking people to mail cash checks to a P.O. box.
- He pocketed the donations, showing how easy it is for scam charities to exploit disasters.