 |
|
CAJ Upcoming
Events |
|
Events
will be posted here.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Everyone
receives countless solicitations by mail and
telephone asking for donations to what all seem
like worthy causes. The problem is how to
distinguish between legitimate charitable
organizations and those that mimic the name
while using the money in a dishonorable fashion.
Below are some questions you can ask to ensure
that your donation is actually helping the cause
you have chosen to give it to:
TIPS FOR
CONSUMERS
 |
Ask the solicitor or
review the written materials sent to you to
determine if the organization is registered
to solicit in your state. |
You are entitled to write
and obtain a free copy of the registration
documents and financial statement from the
agency handling the registration. In
Florida, you may contact the Florida
Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services in Tallahassee, Florida, to obtain
this information. You may also want to
contact the National Charities Information
Bureau at (212) 929-6300, as well as your
own state and local consumer agencies, to
determine if the charity you are donating to
has any outstanding complaints.
|
Solicitors requesting donations for a law
enforcement or emergency services group: |
Cannot
claim to be a member of such a group if they
are not. Solicitors are frequently paid
hourly or a percentage of the amount of
donations they collect and may not be
affiliated or associated with the group on
whose behalf they are collecting.
|
Solicitors are prohibited from stating:
|
If you
fail to donate to a law enforcement group
you may receive reduced services than if you
had donated.
|
While
the law does not require that charities:
|
Expend a
certain amount or percentage of donations on
the charitable purpose, you are always
entitled to request information on the
amount of money spent on the purpose, as
well as how much is spent on salaries and
other expenses. If you don't receive a
satisfactory response, you can choose not to
give that group your donation.
|
Beware
of copycat organizations: |
Ones that
use a similar name to a well-known charity
in order to confuse you. Before you donate,
make sure this is the charity you think it
is.
|
Don't
feel pressured into sending money right
away. |
Many
organizations will offer to send a courier
to your house or office for immediate pickup
of the donation. Tell them you would like to
think about it or that you will mail it to
them yourself.
Source: Originally developed by
the Florida Attorney General's Office |
|
|
|
University Park Campus MARC 330
11200 SW 8th Street Miami, FL 33199
