Community Chat

[Plaid Pants2]

It doesn't bother me when I go on line to make a donation and they ask for name, address and phone number plus email.

I have my landline turned off, and if they email me, I just simply delete it.

Oh, and on every website, there has always been a box marked "Other" where I can choose the amount to donate.

[Moonchilde]

There's no possibility to not getting sent continuous emails, any and every organization does that; Red Cross certainly does, and every major charity I've ever given to online.

As to privacy and TMI - Paypal is your friend. Major organizations nearly always offer that option - the charities I donated to do. I didn't have to give the organization any banking info. Of course they will have your email address - they need to send tax receipts. And all you have to do is Unsubscribe to their emails anyway, and then you won't get any more.

The only way to remain anonymous would be to snail mail them a money order - if it made it to its intended destination without being stolen in the mail.

[Meowingkitty]

This is a message that our police department put out on the Nextdoor app.

Think about right now and think about long term.

Right now is chaos. People are displaced, roads are flooded, and warehouses are unavailable. There are no places to store in-kind goods. There is no place to distribute in-kind goods. Right now overwhelmed agencies are still assessing the situation and its needs. Because they are in the thick of it, they are better able to determine what is needed and cash donations provides them with the funds to get people what they need – right now.

In the long term, flooding will recede, flood victims will be returning home. Then they will need your in-kind donations and your services. Then they will still need your help months, even years from now.

If you want to help right now, choose an organization that YOU trust and make a monetary donation.

The IRS cautions people wishing to make disaster-related charitable donations to avoid scam artists by following these tips:
• Be sure to donate to recognized charities.
• Be wary of charities with names that are similar to familiar or nationally known organizations. Some phony charities use names or websites that sound or look like those of respected, legitimate organizations. The IRS website at IRS.gov has a search feature, Exempt Organizations Select Check, through which people may find qualified charities; donations to these charities may be tax-deductible.
• Don’t give out personal financial information — such as Social Security numbers or credit card and bank account numbers and passwords — to anyone who solicits a contribution. Scam artists may use this information to steal a donor’s identity and money.
• Never give or send cash. For security and tax record purposes, contribute by check or credit card or another way that provides documentation of the donation.
• Consult IRS Publication 526, Charitable Contributions, available on IRS.gov. This free booklet describes the tax rules that apply to making legitimate tax-deductible donations. Among other things, it also provides complete details on what records to keep.

[Moonchilde]

---

@Plaid Pants2 wrote:

It doesn't bother me when I go on line to make a donation and they ask for name, address and phone number plus email.

I have my landline turned off, and if they email me, I just simply delete it.

Oh, and on every website, there has always been a box marked "Other" where I can choose the amount to donate.

---

I know; it's like, do people believe that if $25 or $50 is the minimum suggested amount, they have to give that as a minimum? 

You give what you like. If you can only donate $10, type in $10. They won't turn it down and it all ads up.