Fun Runs? Trivia Nights? Golf Tournaments? BBB Guide Helps Consumers Decide Which Charities Deserve Support

St. Louis, Mo., May 31, 2011 – If you’re stumped about which charity golf tournaments, fun runs or trivia nights to support this summer, try checking whether the charity behind the event is using its money wisely.  The Better Business Bureau’s Charity Information Service has a handy resource: The Summer Wise Giving Guide provides information on 586 nonprofits in eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois.

This year, 152 charities have met all 20 Standards for Charity Accountability and have received the BBB Accredited Charity seal to include online and in their promotional materials. The standards are included in the guide.

The 16-page guide also indicates which charities have not met the standards, showing which standards they still must meet to qualify for accreditation. The guide is available electronically at www.bbb.org. A printed copy can be obtained by contacting the BBB. The guide is published twice a year.

Up-to-date charity reports are available on the BBB website or by calling (314) 645-3300.

The BBB offers the following tips to donors:

• If you are unfamiliar with the organization, don't hesitate to ask for written information about its programs and finances.
• Don't succumb to pressure to give money on the spot. A charity that can use your money today will welcome it just as much tomorrow. Watch out for appeals that bring tears to your eyes, but tell you nothing about how your donation will be used.
• Before making online donations, determine whether the charity’s website has a privacy policy concerning the use of your name, e-mail address or other personal facts.
• When considering supporting a cause-related marketing campaign, find the answers to these questions: What portion of the purchase price will benefit the charity? What is the duration of the campaign? What is the maximum or minimum total contribution? If the information is not on the item, check the organization’s website.
• Before donating used items make sure they are in good shape to reuse. Donating junk puts an undue burden on the charity and does more harm than good. You
• may want to consider selling the item and donating the proceeds to a charity.

The direct link to the guide is: http://stlouis.bbb.org/Storage/142/Documents/Summer2011GivingGuide.pdf

A short video on the guide that explains how the BBB evaluates charities is available at: http://youtu.be/boz9WiKB-mQ

For more information on how to ensure that your donation gets into the right hands, visit BBB’s Charity Information Service at www.stlouis.bbb.org/charity.

Contacts: Michelle Corey, President & CEO, 314-645-3300, mcorey@stlouisbbb.org, or Jim Judge, Director of Charity Review, 314-645-3300, charity@stlouisbbb.org.