For nonprofit organizations in Iowa and around the country, today is “Giving Tuesday,” a day marking the unofficial start of the charitable-giving season. But before you give, it’s wise to checkout a charity’s credentials.
"I think good questions to ask would be about the financial stability of the organization," says Kari McCann of the Iowa Counsel of Foundations. "I also think it's good to ask questions about the strategic direction of the organizations. So are they doing the same programs that they've done for years, and they're tried and true, and they're sticking with those? Or are they looking at trying new things in the years ahead?"
McCann says it's OK to ask these questions of charities directly, and a couple of other good places for research are Charity Navigator and GuideStar. These websites have information on many organizations' financial history, fundraising activities, and programming.
