The holiday giving season is looking a little slim this year.
According to Direct Relief, one in three donors say they will be limiting holiday giving this year and 41% are less likely to donate.
“A big percentage of charitable gifts, traditionally in the United States, are made during that period of Thanksgiving and New Year’s,” said Thomas Tighe, President and CEO of Direct Relief.
There are two main reasons why donations are expected to be lower this holiday season: Many donors already donated a lot throughout the year and many don’t trust non-profits.
Throughout the year, many people donated to national and international emergencies like the Maui Fires and Turkey Earthquake. Because of those donations, people have less to give during the holiday season.
Trustworthiness is another reason many people are holding back on donations this year.
According to Direct Relief, in the last 20 years, 20 million households have stopped donating entirely. Experts say this is due to a lack of trust between the donor and the charity.
Scammers are out there and they want your money. If an organization is constantly calling and harassing you to donate, it’s best that you don’t give in.
“Anything that creates a sense of pressure on someone being urged to give or feeling manipulated, that’s an important sign. I’d hang up and file it,” Tighe said.
There are ways to check if an organization is legitimate or not. A verified non-profit must be labeled as a 501 (c)(3) Organization. To get that exemption requirement, organizations must submit their earnings to the IRS and prove none of the money is going to private shareholders or individuals.
There are some non-profits dedicated to doing research on other non-profits to figure out if they are legitimate:
They check to see if the non-profit they’re researching has the 501 (c)(3) title or not. If not, it’s recommended to not donate to that organization.
About Direct Relief
Direct Relief is a humanitarian medical organization that serves people across the United States and Internationally. The organization collects medications, supplies, vaccines and insulins and gives them to non-profit community health centers. The organization has been around for 75 years.