International Aid

Donating Wisely and Properly:

1) For more organizations, check out whichever Safer Child page refers to your topic of interest.     

2) For help in figuring out how much your donated goods are worth, try The Salvation Army (go to "About Us" then "FAQs" then "Donations").

3) Go to the Internal Revenue Service for record-keeping requirements (Pub 526), or for general procedures for valuing goods (Pub 561).

4) Safer Child, Inc. recommends you research an organization before donating time, money or goods. Some organizations are fraudulent or run poorly, and your donation will be wasted. Check them out, for example, on the Better Business Bureau Web site. Some tips:

Never give to an organization you know nothing about. First, get as much information from them as possible (annual report, financial statements, list of board of directors, how much of their money goes to fundraising and administrative costs, whether contributions are tax-deductible).

If the organization is based in America, obtain a copy of the letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that grants the organization tax-exempt status. Call the IRS and make sure the status is still valid.

Watch out for names that are deliberately similar to legitimate organizations.

Never give money or information to an organization you've only heard about over the telephone, at your front door, on the street, or via an email.

Never give out cash. Contribute by check or money order so you'll have documentation for tax purposes.

Never give out your credit information over the telephone. You don't have to give your social security number out to anyone, and we highly recommend against it.

If you have to donate NOW, if you can't call the organization back, if they want to come to your house for the donation, if they aren't professional over the telephone, if they show up at your door one day and ask for donations, or if you're feeling pressured to donate, take all of those as warning signs.

For more help in donating wisely, try the Better Business Bureau, the BBB's Give.org, the Charity Navigator, the American Institute of Philanthropy, the Federal Trade Commission or GuideStar.

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Safer Child, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with federal tax-exempt status. Please note: 1) External organizations listed herein do not necessarily endorse Safer Child positions, nor do we necessarily endorse theirs. We list them as a courtesy and aren't responsible for their accuracy, completeness or content. 2) We recommend you maintain a healthy skepticism when reviewing information on the Internet; it might appear to be reliable --  yet actually be false, misleading, incomplete, out-of-date and/or intentionally harmful. 3) There might be material on the Internet that you disagree with or find objectionable; preview all sites before viewing them with your child. 4) We are not responsible for external addresses/phone numbers changing without our knowledge. 5) The information and commentary on this site are not substitutes for professional advice from your doctor, lawyer, or mental health professional. 6) Requests for permission to republish, copy and/or distribute any material found on this Web site should be directed to Safer Child, Inc.

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