Author Urges Donors to Do Research on Charities Before Giving

Don’t Just Give It Away: How to Make the Most of Your Charitable Giving
By Renata J. Rafferty

Ms. Rafferty, a consultant in Indian Wells, Calif., urges prospective donors to investigate charities as carefully as they would companies in which they invest.

“As a donor, in most cases, you only know what a non-profit wants you to know,” writes Ms. Rafferty. “Yet philanthropists are not nearly as diligent about investigating charities as they are about analyzing comparably sized personal investment opportunities.”

She offers advice on how to conduct research on organizations vying for big gifts and posts 10 “warning signs” intended to steer readers away from groups in distress. One such sign: The executive director discourages speaking to a board member or visiting a site where the charity runs a program.

Other sections cover how to define one’s philanthropic goals and measure the results of a large donation. Appendixes provide a list of organizations, publications, and Web sites of interest to would-be philanthropists.

Publisher: Chandler House Press, 335 Chandler Street, Worcester, Mass. 01602; (508) 756-7644 or (800) 642-6657; fax (508) 756-9425; http://www.tatnuck.com; 200 pages; $17.95.