# Irish regulator provides advice on festive charitable giving

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2018/12/17/irish-regulator-provides-advice-festive-charitable-giving/
- Published: 2018-12-17T18:01:50+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**The Irish Charities Regulator 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 interim Chief Executive Helen Martin 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 in
this process,” Ms Martin said.

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The Charities Register is a free, online database for registered charities on the
regulator’s website.  The Charities Register provides information on charities, 
including who the charity benefits and where it operates.

The [Charity Regulator](http://www.charitiesregulator.ie) advises donors to take
the following steps before donating:

 * Check the charity name, logo and Registered Charity Number (RCN) 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.

Members of the public who suspect that an organisation is not in compliance with
the Charities Act 2009 can contact the Charities Regulator Concerns service online.

 

> Check out our top tips if you want to donate safely to a registered charity this
> [#Christmas](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Christmas?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw).
> Easy steps to ensure peace of mind. [https://t.co/TOrIg12RkS](https://t.co/TOrIg12RkS)
> [pic.twitter.com/nWGFaRtR9H](https://t.co/nWGFaRtR9H)
> — Charities Regulator (@Charities_Reg) [December 13, 2018](https://twitter.com/Charities_Reg/status/1073233430131994624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

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