How to give to charity safely at Christmas – Charities Regulator in Ireland
Howard Lake | 20 December 2017 | News
The Charities Regulator in Ireland is advising the general public to check the Charities Register as the first step when it comes to donating safely to charities this Christmas.
“Christmas is a very important time for charities when it comes to raising funds for their work,” Charities Regulator Chief Executive John Farrelly said.
“We want to ensure that people can donate to registered Irish charities and have some peace of mind. Checking the Charities Register should be the first step,” he added.
The Charity Register provides information on charities, including who the charity benefits and where it operates.
The Charities Regulator in Ireland has advised members of the public to consider taking these steps before donating:
- Check the charity name, logo and registered charity number that appear on any collection leaflets;
- Ensure any fundraising materials have clear contact and registration details for the charity;
- Check that the person collecting the donation has official identification and has a permit to collect in that particular area;
- Ask if the collector knows what the charity does and can give examples of its work;
- Do not provide your personal, credit card or online account details unless you know it is a trusted source;
- If you think that there is something wrong, contact the charity directly and alert them to your concerns.
The Charity Commission for England and Wales, the Northern Ireland Charity Commission, and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator all periodically offer advice on safer charitable giving, usually at religious festivals such as Ramadan and Christmas, and in response to major emergency appeals or events like the Olympic Games.
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.