How to Choose Charities
You should pick the charities and give money before being asked. Not only are you more likely to find groups whose missions matter to you, but your money will go further. When donors give money in response to a fund-raising appeal, only a portion of the gift goes for the charity's mission, according to the American Institute of Philanthropy. The rest will be spent on the cost of the appeal.
Here are some other tips to help make sure your money is well spent.
1. Give to groups you know
It's not always possible, of course, but experts say it's the best thing to do. “Be very reluctant to give to strangers" says Dan Moore, vice president of public affairs for Guide Star, an online source of financial information on charities. “If you know the organization and you know their work, you will know with some degree of confidence that your gift will be put to good use"
2. Make sure the charity is the one you think it is
That police association may be based in another state, and do nothing for your local officers. The group that says it grants wishes for sick children may have deliberately adopted a name similar to a well-respected organization. Don’t assume you know the group or what it does.
3. Ask if your gift is tax-deductible
Some nonprofit organizations that solicit gifts are not charities, meaning that you can’t deduct your donation at tax time.
4. Make sure you understand the group's work
Charities tackle problems in different ways. For example, groups that try to lower the rate of teenage pregnancy may do so by teaching sex education, by promoting sexual abstinence or by offering programs that aim to build self-esteem among teen girls. “There’s no single right answer,” says Guide Stars Moore. “You want to give a gift that’s addressing a cause that tugs at your heartstrings, in a way that best addresses your needs”
5. Make sure the charity is legitimate
The Internal Revenue Service maintains a list of all organizations registered as charities. Also check with your state’s attorney general or charities bureau, which is responsible for policing charities within the state and can provide a wealth of information about them. Don’t know your state’s charity regulator? Go towww.nasconet.org, a national association of state charity officers, to find yours.
6. Don’t be afraid to ask questions
Charities are required to provide information about their programs and expenses. Start with these questions: How will my gift be spent? How many people did you help last year? In what way? If you don’t get adequate answers, don’t give anything.
7. Find out about expenses
Even if the charity is a good one, you might feel cheated if you later find out that most of your gift went to pay the people who called you up and asked for money, or to pay the salaries of the group's top officers. In general, efficient groups will spend at least 65 percent of their funds on the causes they support, says Laurie Styron, an analyst with the Chicago-based American Institute of Philanthropy, which rates charities for donors. The percentage may be lower for groups that support controversial causes such as abortion rights, since those groups have more trouble raising money. You can ask the charity for this information, which it is required to provide, or search the Web. The New York attorney general’s office, for example, has for years published an annual report, “Pennies for Charity," that details how much money specific charities receive from various telephone appeals.
8. Think twice before giving to a university or hospital
While worthy, these institutions are also the heavyweights of the fundraising world, bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars a year. For example, Harvard University’s endowment, the amount of money it has tucked away in savings, now stands at more than $25 billion. Meanwhile, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and other groups often struggle to raise enough to keep going. Many arts organizations also have trouble balancing their budgets. Such groups may not have the resources to solicit funds from you, but that doesn’t mean they won’t appreciate your gift and make good use of it.
9. Protect yourself
Don’t give out credit card or personal information in response to phone, e-mail or door-to-door appeals: They may be fraudulent. If giving online, locate the charity’s Web site yourself rather than linking through an e-mail. Above all, don’t give cash. Your best bet is to mail a check to the organization.
Only a percentge of the money from goes to a charity's mission.
Dan Moore believes you will have more in charities you know.
Be careful because not all non-profit organisations are registered .
Make sure you receive to your questions before giving gifts.
Organisations which help may spend less than 65% on the mission itself.
Some less well-known organisations who may well be worthy causes.
Some email appeals are unfortunately .
AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Question Focus: Paraphrase match - summary says 'money from donors' while passage explains what happens when donors give money
Correct Answer: donors
Why this is correct: The summary talks about where the money comes from, and the passage clearly says donors give money in response to appeals. This shows the percentage comes from donors, not directly from charities.
Passage Reference: When donors give money in response to a fund-raising appeal, only a portion of the gift goes for the charity's mission, according to the American Institute of Philanthropy. The rest will be spent on the cost of the appeal.
Common Mistake: Students may write appeals because appeals are mentioned nearby, but the money comes from donors, not from appeals themselves. This is a context shift trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'When donors give money' = Summary: 'money from donors'
Tips: Look for who is doing the action in the passage. The summary often shortens this idea.
Key Vocabulary:
- donor = person who gives money
- appeal = request for money
Question Focus: Synonym match - 'with some degree of confidence' becomes 'have more confidence'
Correct Answer: confidence
Passage Reference: If you know the organization and you know their work, you will know with some degree of confidence that your gift will be put to good use" 2.
Why this is correct: Dan Moore says that if you know a charity, you will know with some degree of confidence your gift is used well. The summary paraphrases this as having more confidence.
Common Mistake: Some students write trust, but that word does not appear in the passage. You must copy the exact word. This is a synonym trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'some degree of confidence' = Summary: 'more confidence'
Tips: If the summary uses comparative words like 'more', look for quantity words in the passage.
Key Vocabulary:
- confidence = feeling sure
- reluctant = not willing
Question Focus: Direct match - registered as charities
Correct Answer: charities
Passage Reference: Some nonprofit organizations that solicit gifts are not charities, meaning that you can't deduct your donation at tax time.
Why this is correct: The passage explains that some nonprofit organizations are not charities, which means they are not registered as charities. This matches the warning in the summary.
Common Mistake: Students may write nonprofits, but the passage is clear that the problem is they are not charities. This is a partial truth trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'not charities' = Summary: 'registered charities'
Tips: Pay attention to negatives like 'not'. IELTS often tests this.
Key Vocabulary:
- nonprofit = not for profit
- deduct = subtract from tax
Question Focus: Exact phrase match from the passage
Correct Answer: adequate answers
Passage Reference: If you don't get adequate answers, don't give anything.
Why this is correct: The passage directly says that if you do not get adequate answers, you should not give anything. The summary uses the same idea before giving gifts.
Common Mistake: Some students write clear answers or full answers, but these are not in the passage. This is a synonym trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'adequate answers' = Summary: 'receive adequate answers'
Tips: When the exact phrase fits the gap, always copy it.
Key Vocabulary:
- adequate = enough
- expenses = costs
Question Focus: Specific detail match about spending less than 65 percent
Correct Answer: controversial causes
Passage Reference: The percentage may be lower for groups that support controversial causes such as abortion rights, since those groups have more trouble raising money.
Why this is correct: The passage explains that groups supporting controversial causes may spend less than 65 percent on their mission. This exactly matches the summary sentence.
Common Mistake: Students may write abortion rights, but that is only an example, not the general category. This is a partial truth trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'groups that support controversial causes' = Summary: 'organisations which help controversial causes'
Tips: Do not copy examples when the summary needs the general idea.
Key Vocabulary:
- controversial = causing disagreement
- efficient = well-run
Question Focus: Paraphrase match - struggle to raise money
Correct Answer: solicit funds
Passage Reference: Such groups may not have the resources to solicit funds from you, but that doesn't mean they won't appreciate your gift and make good use of it.
Why this is correct: The passage says some groups do not have the resources to solicit funds, meaning ask for money. The summary refers to less well-known organisations that do this.
Common Mistake: Students may write raise money, but that phrase is not used in the passage. This is a synonym trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'solicit funds from you' = Summary: 'organisations who solicit funds'
Tips: IELTS often hides verbs inside longer sentences. Look carefully.
Key Vocabulary:
- solicit = ask for
- resources = money or support
Question Focus: Direct adjective match
Correct Answer: fraudulent
Passage Reference: Don't give out credit card or personal information in response to phone, e-mail or door-to-door appeals: They may be fraudulent.
Why this is correct: The passage warns that phone, email, or door-to-door appeals may be fraudulent. The summary shortens this to describe some email appeals.
Common Mistake: Some students write dangerous or fake, but these words do not appear in the passage. This is a synonym trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'they may be fraudulent' = Summary: 'appeals are fraudulent'
Tips: Warnings at the end of passages often use strong adjectives. Copy them exactly.
Key Vocabulary:
- fraudulent = dishonest
- appeal = request
General Tips:
- Summary completion questions follow passage order. Find the first answer, then keep reading forward.
- Always copy the exact word or phrase from the passage. Synonyms are usually wrong.
- Check the grammar around the gap. It tells you if you need a noun, verb, or adjective.
- Watch out for examples in the passage. The summary usually wants the general idea, not the example.
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