Irish regulator provides advice on festive charitable giving
Howard Lake | 17 December 2018 | News
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.
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 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. Easy steps to ensure peace of mind. https://t.co/TOrIg12RkS pic.twitter.com/nWGFaRtR9H
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— Charities Regulator (@Charities_Reg) December 13, 2018
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.