Exercising compassion: don't fall for fake charity drives
In these difficult times, we understand that you want to do something meaningful with your money. One way is by donating to different charities and people in need. With the ongoing pandemic and occurrence of natural disasters, charities and non-government organizations have been more visible on social media.
But while it is noble to help through these initiatives, everyone should be wary of fake donation drives that try to take advantage of the situation. What are the red flags you should be aware of?
It’s important to learn what to look for and where to donate before you send out your hard-earned money to any “charity” or person. Here are red flags that you should be aware of:
Lack of info
Before you give any COVID-19 or typhoon relief donations, spend some time researching about the organization or person in charge of the donation drive.
If you find a website or a social media page, it’s best to spend some time going through their information and posts. See what the organization is about, their purpose and beneficiaries, past donation drives, accounting or liquidation of received goods, contact information, and how long they’ve existed.
A legitimate charity should be transparent about all these details, especially who they help and why they’ve chosen to help them.
If you still can’t find any information about them after a thorough search, it may be a scam.
No transparency with the donations
Donors have every right to know where their money goes. Whenever a donor sends in money, charities and volunteers should provide them with proof of how it is being spent through a thorough breakdown of expenses and a BIR Certificate of Donation.
A certificate of acceptance of donation is not enough in these instances as any individual can quickly make this without properly spending or transferring the funds.
People are being pressured to donate
No authentic charity or drive pressures people to donate. Donations are done out of free will. If someone pressures you to donate to his or her cause, that person is most likely scamming you to get money from you.
Keep in mind that if donating to a specific institution doesn’t feel right, or if they ask you to donate more money than you are comfortable with, you can always politely decline and say you are not interested in donating.
Which charity should you donate to?
A number of legitimate charities are transparent in the drives they conduct. Here are some charities and foundations you can donate to:
- Caritas Manila reaches out to the poorest of the poor in Manila. Their GC Ayuda program aims to provide families with PHP 1,000 gift certificates to help them with their necessities during the pandemic.
- For our Farmers is a non-profit organization that uplifts local farmers and fisherfolk. What started as a simple COVID-19 donation drive grew into a full-fledged organization that provides farmers and fisherfolk with scholarships, capitals for farming, and typhoon aid.
- UN SDSN Philippines is a youth-led non-profit organization that mobilizes youth leaders to create practical solutions for sustainable development.
The current pandemic has opened doors for the spirit of Bayanihan to come alive. Just remember to always be mindful of scams to make sure your donations reach the right hands.
Stay on top of the latest scams and fraud schemes to avoid falling prey to them. Find more information about fraud prevention from Metrobank.
