Virginia State Police Offer Tips On Safe Charitable Giving   RICHMOND (December 15, 2009) – In the spirit of the holiday season, many charities use this time of the year to raise much-needed funds. With economic challenges lingering, Virginians can expect increased competition for each and every charitable dollar you have to give. With this in mind, the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation offers the following Top 5 Tips to help Virginians protect themselves by ensuring one’s donations go to those organizations and individuals truly in need, and not to scams or fraudulent organizations. Tip 1: Give to charities you know. Knowing your charity takes the guess work out of the giving. If your charity is new then research its cause, needs, and plan for spending accepted donations. Tip 2: Do not allow anyone to rush you into giving. It is unlikely that a legitimate charity will tell you that they must have your money "now or never." Request the caller or online solicitation to mail you information about the charity. Take your time and read provided literature, or research the information online or at a public library. Information on numerous charities is available through the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at cvc.vipnet.org/charities.htm. Tip 3: Ask questions. Ask the person requesting a donation…What the charitable organization does with raised funds? What is the division between administrative costs and actual money received by the intended recipients? Will the charitable organization re-sell my information to unknown organizations? If my personal information is provided, how is it secured within the organization’s record keeping systems? Tip 4: Is the donation tax deductable? If you are seeking a tax deduction for your contribution, ensure the charity you are donating to qualifies under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Code. Always request and keep a receipt as a record of your contribution. Tip 5: Be wise with telephone and Internet solicitations. Do not give credit card, debit card or bank information over the phone. Instead, request the charity mail you information you can read and research at your leisure. For Internet donations, give to charities that provide encryption technology to protect your personal and credit card information. Look for "https" in the Internet address – the “s” indicates “secure.” The traditional “http” does not provide such online security protection. In addition to the “https,” look for a padlock or unbroken key symbol as a sign of information security.

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