According to its website, GivingTuesday is a Movement that Unleashes the Power of Radical Generosity Around the World.
It reimagines a world built upon shared humanity and generosity.
Its global network collaborates year-round to inspire generosity around the world, with a common mission to build a world where generosity is part of everyday life.
Whether it’s making someone smile, helping a neighbor or stranger out, showing up for an issue or people you care about, or giving some of what you have to those who need our help, every act of generosity counts, and everyone has something to give.
By Dr. Phyllis Olmstead:
Where will your donations be most efficiently used?
Families are generous at the end of year and around the many holidays. When you donate your hard-earned money, you want to make sure it is going somewhere that the majority of it will go to the actual recipients of the charity and not administration or fundraising. But how do you determine if a 501(c)(3) or other nonprofit is properly using the funds you donate?
There are a few organizations that vet nonprofits. One at the national level is Charity Navigator, https://www.charitynavigator.org another is GuideStar, https://www.guidestar.org/.
At the state level is the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' CheckACharity (FDACS), https://csapp.fdacs.gov/CSPublicApp/CheckACharity/CheckACharity.aspx.
National Nonprofits
Charity Navigator does a deep dive into registered charities of certain income level, then rates them on a four-star basis. GuideStar accepts registration of nonprofits. This is very effective for large, well-known organizations that market you on social media, by television, and by mail.
Florida Nonprofits
First, nonprofits incorporate in the State of Florida, then they obtain an EIN with the IRS, they are required to register with FDACS to legally solicit contributions in the state. If they are not registered on CheckACharity, they are not legally allowed to solicit contributions in the state even IF they are 501(c)(3), some nonprofits with special status such as veterans groups are exempt. The database also indicates if their status is Denied, Revoked, Closed, or Expired status.
When a nonprofit files their 990 IRS form online at the close of a year with FDACS a report is generated that donors can see showing the efficiency of services rendered, percentage of funds that went to their clients versus administration, utilities, supplies, bills, etc. If they do not file the form online potential donors do not get as clear an image of stewardship.
Sample Apopka Area Charities, NOT endorsements:
|
Charity |
Revenue |
Expenses |
Administration |
% to Services |
|
Apopka Pregnancy Care Center, Inc |
$74,649 |
$80,198 |
Over 100 % |
|
|
Central Florida Council, Boy Scouts of America, Inc. |
$6,941,947 |
$6,749,871 |
6 % |
89 % |
|
Diocesan Council of Orlando, Society of St Vincent de Paul, Inc |
$6,582,644 |
$6,625,849 |
5 % |
95 % |
|
Hope Community Center, Inc, |
$1,745,859 |
$1,753,269 |
10 % |
87 % |
|
Loaves & Fishes, Inc. |
$1,379,153 |
$1,389,214 |
10 % |
85 % |
Through CheckACharity, Charity Navigator, and GuideStar you can see the wonderful efficiency of some organizations at 85 - 100 % going to clients versus the waste of donations going to administration and money sitting in bank accounts of others helping you to determine which organizations will be the better stewards of your hard-earned money.
To search for nonprofits with an Apopka address, for example:
You will receive the list of businesses licensed in Florida as nonprofits.
The only ones authorized to Solicit Donations in Florida are marked Registered or Exempt.
If you type their name on the csapp.fdacs.gov you started at in 1 above you will get their report of Revenue, Expenses, and percentages rendered on services, administration, and fundraising IF they reported their 990 IRS form into the FDACS online.
