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Charlie

Mitchell

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100110 check OUI charilies

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In a December mood?
Feeling generous?
Wallet empty?
Not a problem, says Bill Moak, president ofthe..Better Business
Bureau of Mississippi.
Oive"time:··
"The personal rewards for volunteering, especially during
the holiday season, can be as important to charities as a cash
contribution," Moak said.
And he's right. There are very few seJVice groups that couldn't
use a hand, especially from someone who has a bit of expertise
- carpentry, plumbing, computer trouble-shooting, bookkeeping,
fioormopping. .
If nothing else, buy or bake some cookies and take them to the
o~ce of an organization you think is doing good work in your
cornmunity. You spend $5 and the staff gets something invaluable ­
a vote of encQuragernent. . .
Mississippians are the most philanthropic people in America.
We've,been told that for years. The ranking is based on giving as
a perceritage of-income reported to the Internal Revenue Service.
The fact we arc a state with a lot of low-income people and a lot of
church-going tithers provides pan ofthe explanation. But not all of
it. People in this state will really rally.
I saw what individuals, formal and informal organizations and
nongovernment agencies did in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Dozens of groups fed thousands of people for weeks.
I watched in a suburban Baghdad cornmUI).ity center as paralyzed
teens accepted· from a Mississippi church - the first wheelchairs
they 'd ever had. .
It's impressive how neighborly Mississippians can be.
Others have noticed, too, and, sadly, the world of charities has
become infested with predators.
There are groups and individuals who make fortunes by using
deception to gain the compassion of others. ·
Christmas is their feeding season.
So how do you tell if a donation will actually do what you want it
to do?
A first step could be called the "name test." It works almost as
well as a mathematical formula. Here it is: The more emotion­
packed words in the organization's name, the more likely the
organization is not a charity at all. Hence, if the mailman brings
you a solicitation from the "Society to Provide Kittens to the Blind
Babies of Deaf Veterans," a questioning eyebrow should go up.
There are plenty of legitimate charities that really aid animals,
vision-impaired children and really assist veterans. But there are
also plenty ofcon artists whose only priority is separating you from
your money. The harder they pluck your heartstrings, the more
likely they can get a check.
Another term bogus groups like to employ is "law enforcement"
or "first responders." Every honest person is grateful for law
enforcement and knows first responders save lives. So it follows
that scammers .are not shy about t4pping into that gratitude. In tum,
.they do very little, if anything, to actuaHysuppornlaweI\f'prcement
or first responders. ..~--..- --' .,.
The second step is using a tool - an invaluable tool· the
Mississippi Legislature has made availahle to the public through the
Secretary of State's Office (www.sos.state.ms.us) for several years..
An armual report on all charities registered to ask for money from
Mississippians (and registration is required) is available online
in full andsearchahle formats. Most public libraries have printed
versions. .
When contacted and asked to give money, a citizen can check the
registry before donating. .
If the charity isn't listed, it's operating illegally.
If a charity is listed, don't expect the state to try to tell you
whether it's on the level. It's a free country. Anyone can ask for
money.
What the aqnual reports do show is how much money a group
raised in the most recent year, the cost of raising the money, the cost
of administrative staffand the amount actually spent for the stated
purpose.
It does cost money to raise money, so it would be wrong to hold
all staff salaries or fundraising expenses against a charity.
If, however, a report shows a charity spent 75 cents or more of
every donated dollar on overhead - and a surPrising number do ­
wary donors might choose to give their checks to organizations that
minimize their internal costs to maximize their effect.
Back to a BBB idea. Moak says, and it's true, that charities are
limited by the tax code on how much, if any, lobbying they can do.
Volunteers, however, can be their advocates and write letters on their
behalf.
If people have money to give, the best advice is to give it close to
home to known, trusted individuals and organizations. Any group
soliciting a gift by mail, telephone or otherWise should be checked
out. The state makes it pretty easy to do.
And remember money, as BBB says, is not the only thing that bas
value. Time does, too. As do words and actions showing support.

Ch~rti~ Mitchell is executiv~ editor of The Vickspurg Post. Write to

him at Box 821668, Vicksburg, MS 39182, or e-mail cmitchell@
vicksburgpost.com :