Make your voice heard -- again -- on Giving Tuesday -- Nov. 26, 2020 column

 By MARSHA MERCER

The election is over. Let’s get to work building a better world.

Americans made their voices heard in the election and can again on Giving Tuesday, Dec. 1, the annual day of global generosity after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.

Giving Tuesday encourages us to take a breath after days of consuming to reflect on what’s important to us and act on our values.

Charitable giving is more important than ever during the pandemic and recession as nonprofits have suffered a decline in donations and loss of in-person fundraising opportunities.

Wildfires, hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters have wreaked havoc on our fellow citizens. Millions have lost their jobs, leading to higher levels of food insecurity. We’ve all seen the news footage of thousands of cars in line for food. 

Nearly 26 million adults – 12% of all adults in the United States – said their household sometimes or often didn’t have enough to eat in the last seven days, the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey reported this month. 

Among adults with children, the situation was worse – 16% said their household didn’t have enough to eat, compared with 9% of those without children at home.

A federal moratorium currently prevents landlords nationwide from evicting renters, but the moratorium is set to expire Dec. 31. Food banks, shelters, health clinics and other social service organizations are straining to meet increased demand and would welcome your help.

You don’t have to give cash. You can contribute your time, energy or talent to a cause or a neighbor. During the pandemic, many organizations are seeking in-person or virtual volunteers. Check out volunteermatch.org to find opportunities in your ZIP code.

Giving Tuesday isn’t political; it neither accepts nor distributes contributions, and anyone can participate free. The idea is for each person to choose a charity, donate on the charity’s website and publicize the choice on social media with the hashtag #givingtuesday. Since Giving Tuesday started in 2012, it has spread to 220 countries worldwide.

Americans donated an estimated $511 million online on #GivingTuesday last year – up from $400 million in 2018.

If you have the wherewithal, there’s a new incentive to be generous. By doing good, you basically can reduce your taxable income in 2020.

In the past, only taxpayers who itemized deductions could take charitable contributions off their federal taxes. But the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security -- or CARES -- Act allows taxpayers who don’t itemize to take a charitable deduction of up to $300 for cash contributions to qualifying organizations.

Qualifying groups are those that are “religious, charitable, educational, scientific or literary in purpose,” the IRS says. More details. 

Last year Americans gave almost $500 billion to charities, and about 69% of the total came from individuals, according to Giving USA 2020, a report researched and written by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

A recent survey found 40% of donors plan to give more to charity this year than last. The survey by Classy, an online gift processor, found that the pandemic was a big motivator for charitable giving, followed by the political climate and racial justice issues. 

If your inbox, like mine, is overflowing with Giving Tuesday requests, deciding which nonprofit to support can be daunting.

A word of caution, though. Scammers are also after your money. Experts advise against clicking on the handy links that come in emails. Instead, research the organizations, then go directly to their websites to give.

To make sure your donation goes to a legitimate charity, consult Charity Navigator, GuideStar (now Candid), the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance or Charity Watch, which monitor charities.

One person can make a difference. Dolly Parton has received well-deserved praise for her long history of charitable giving, especially her recent $1 million donation to help develop a coronavirus vaccine. Her Imagination Library initiative has given 147 million books to children since 1995. She started it as a tribute to her father, who couldn’t read.

Few can sing or be as generous as Dolly Parton, but each of us can make our voice heard on Giving Tuesday.

© 2020 Marsha Mercer. All rights reserved.

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Fighting sham charities -- May 28, 2015 column

By MARSHA MERCER

Outside the supermarket, a woman sitting at a card table says she is collecting food for needy families with children.

I don’t recognize the name of her group and she’s vague about where the food is going. But she’s friendly and seems sincere, so I buy an extra can of baked beans. More generous shoppers than I stuff dollars in her jar. I hope she’s on the level and go about my day.

How many times do we have such conflicting thoughts and emotions? At every turn, we’re asked to give. We know people are hurting, we want to help -- but we don’t want to be stupid. In my case, the financial risk was minuscule, but too many kind-hearted souls contribute real money to bogus charities.  

There must be a special circle of Hell for charity scammers who dupe unsuspecting donors. In this world, though, we rely on government to punish the wicked.  

In an unprecedented sign of nationwide resolve, all 50 states and the District of Columbia joined the Federal Trade Commission May 18 and accused four charities of fleecing more than $187 million from unsuspecting donors from 2008 to 2012. The charities, all with cancer in their names and run by family members, allegedly used almost none of the money they raised for cancer patients for patients.

The charities claimed donors’ contributions would “provide pain medication to children suffering from cancer, transport cancer patients to chemotherapy appointments, or pay for hospice care for cancer patients,” according to the complaint filed in federal court. “These were lies.”

None of the groups even had programs to provide pain medicine to patients. None transported patients to chemotherapy and none paid for hospice care.

Calling the groups “sham charities,” the complaint says almost every penny collected actually paid for-profit fundraisers and enriched the small group that ran the charities.

The funds donors intended for cancer patients instead bought cars, dainties from Victoria’s Secret, meals at Hooters, and “training trips” for employees and their families in Disney World and cruises of the Caribbean. Donations went for personal loans and paid for college tuition, gym memberships, Jet Ski outings, dating Website subscriptions and tickets to concerts and sporting events.

Less than 3 cents of every dollar collected went to cancer patients in cash and goods, the complaint states. “Comfort boxes” for patients included mostly overstock items, Carnation Instant Breakfast, Little Debbie Snack Cakes and later Moon Pies.

Under terms of a proposed settlement agreement, Children’s Cancer Fund of America and the Breast Cancer Society agreed to shut down, and three principals will be banned from fundraising and other charitable management activities. Litigation will continue against Cancer Fund of America, Cancer Support Services and founder and president, James Reynolds Sr., the FTC said.

It’s no easy task keeping track of charities. In 2012, there were about 1.6 million nonprofits registered with the Internal Revenue Service. Individuals gave roughly $240.6 billion to charities in 2013, according to Giving USA.

Almost every major disaster and tragedy generates a new wave of scam artists. State and federal regulators simply can’t keep up. 

In case you’re thinking that sham charities are a modern phenomenon, think again. Former President Grover Cleveland warned in 1906 that people might be discouraged from giving to responsible charities because of fraudulent schemes. He suggested the creation of an agency to test charities and provide “reliable guidance” to donors. 

Fortunately, today several organizations do just that, including the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch and GuideStar. The FTC has good advice on its Charity Scams page.

Consumers should know that many sham charities have names strikingly similar to reputable ones. Beware of appeals that tug at heartstrings with diseases like cancer and the suffering of children, police, firefighters and veterans. Ask questions; legitimate groups should provide information on how they spend donations.

And I learned this: “Wise donors don’t drop money into canisters at the checkout counter or hand over cash to solicitors outside the supermarket,” Charity Navigator advises in Top 10 Best Practices of Savvy Donors.

We all have a role to play in stopping sham charities. Now more than ever, it’s important to be generous -- and smart.

©2015 Marsha Mercer. All rights reserved.

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