United Way understands how important it is to choose the right organization to donate your hard-earned money. As you prepare to make any type of charitable gift, we urge you to follow these guidelines.

1) View your donation as an investment.
An investment approach to a particular group or cause will ensure a more meaningful experience for you.

2) Do your homework.
It's important to gather all the facts.  Thoroughly researching an agency before you give will help you separate legitimate charities from frauds and will reassure you that your donation is truly helping those who need it most.

Avoid charities that engage in the following:

• Asking for cash donations
• Sending mail appeals disguised as bills or invoices
• Offering very little or no information on actual day-to-day operations
• Pressuring you to give

For detailed information about a local charity, visit Charities Review Council at: www.smartgivers.org/.

3)  Understand the tax benefits of giving.
An added benefit of giving is that most charitable donations are tax-deductible. To receive a tax deduction, you will need the proper documentation for your tax return. The IRS requires a receipt for each tax-deductible contribution of $250 or more.  Depending on the amount of type of your gift, you may need to provide additional documents with your tax form, such as Form 8283 for each non-cash donation exceeding $500.

More information about charitable giving and tax deductions can be found on the IRS's Website at: www.irs.gov/.

4)  Decide how you'll give and how much.
Financial donations are the most popular way to give to charities but there are other ways to help your favorite cause.  Many organizations accept property and goods (known as "in-kind" donations) as well as your time. 

There are many options on how to give, including donating directly online, by mail, through payroll deduction or through a donor-advertised fund.  Find out if your employer will match your charitable gift.  This will further maximize your gift.

5) Track your donations.
Once you've made your gift, mark your calendar with important dates of your charity's meetings and key events for the year.  These are great ways to see your investment at work.  Also, be sure to track the dates and the amounts you gave, payment methods and desired uses for your gift.

You should automatically receive a receipt with an acknowledgement of your gift.  If you don't, be sure to follow up.  Don't rely on a cancelled check to count as a receipt.

Source: United Way of America