Charity Commission NI urges caution over Christmas giving
Howard Lake | 9 December 2016 | News
The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland has urged people to exercise caution when donating to charity this Christmas because of the danger of fraud.
Tom McGrath, Chief Charity Commissioner, explained:
“It’s traditional to give at Christmas time and many more people may be tempted to give to charity this month than usual.
“Most requests for donations will be genuine but with fraud becoming more sophisticated it’s important that you have full confidence in who you’re giving to.
“If you’re in any doubt, the Commission has a range of resources anyone can access including details of registered charities and details of their expenditure, as well as ten tips for safer Christmas giving.”
At present, there are 5,300 charities registered and listed on the Commission’s public register of charities, available on its website.
The Commission has also highlighted additional checks which can be undertaken when donating to charity this Christmas.
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Safer giving
The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s safer Christmas giving tips are:
1. Check the register to ensure the Commission knows about the charity and it is prepared to meet its legal duty to apply for registration.
2. If the charity has been registered by the Commission then search for it via the public register of charities to find out important information on its charitable purposes and public benefit.
3. To donate online to a particular charity, look for that charity’s website. Check that you have the right web address.
4. Be careful when responding to emails or clicking links on emails. Always check emails are genuine by looking out for spelling mistakes or other signs that the email is not genuine. If you have any concerns, don’t hesitate to contact the charity directly.
5. Check whether a collector has the authority to collect. A permit or license is usually required if raising money in a public place. These permits are obtained through the PSNI at present.
6. Ask the collector how much of your donation goes to the charity. There’s no fixed rule about what percentage should be given to charity, but our advice is for people to ask what proportion of gross profit goes to the charity. This allows you to make an informed choice before you give.
7. Ask the collector for more information about what donations will be used for. A genuine charity will understand that you may wish to know more and should be happy to answer questions.
8. Check that the collection tin is sealed and that it is not damaged.
9. If in doubt send your donation directly to the charity.
10. It is always good practice for charities to tell you how your money has been used after you have given via emails, newsletters or other communications.
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.