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 fundraising 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 organisation 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 organisation. Don’t assume you know the group or what it does.
3. Ask if your gift is tax-deductible
Some non-profit organisations 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 Star’s 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 organisations 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 to www.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 per cent 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 organisations 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 the 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 organisation.
Only a percentage 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: Synonym match - summary says 'money from' and passage talks about people who give
Correct Answer: donors
Why this is correct: The passage explains that when donors give money, only part goes to the mission. The summary paraphrases this as 'money from donors'.
Passage Reference: When donors give money in response to a fundraising 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 fundraising appeals, but that changes the meaning. The money comes from people, not the appeal itself. This is a context shift trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'When donors give money' = Summary: 'money from [GAP]'
Tips: Look for who is doing the action. Here, people give money, not organisations.
Key Vocabulary:
- donor = person who gives money
- appeal = request for money
Question Focus: Synonym match - summary uses 'more' instead of 'some degree of'
Correct Answer: confidence
Passage Reference: If you know the organisation 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 you will know 'with some degree of confidence'. The summary shortens this to 'more confidence'.
Common Mistake: Writing trust sounds logical, but it is not the exact word from the passage. You must copy the passage word. This is a synonym trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'some degree of confidence' = Summary: 'more [GAP]'
Tips: Even if a synonym fits, IELTS FIB requires the exact passage word.
Key Vocabulary:
- confidence = feeling sure
- reluctant = not willing
Question Focus: Direct match - definition of non-profit organisations
Correct Answer: charities
Passage Reference: Some non-profit organisations that solicit gifts are not charities, meaning that you can't deduct your donation at tax time.
Why this is correct: The passage clearly states that some non-profit organisations 'are not charities'. The summary directly reflects this warning.
Common Mistake: Students may write registered, but the gap needs what they are not registered as. This is a partial truth trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'are not charities' = Summary: 'are registered [GAP]'
Tips: Watch the grammar after the gap to see what type of word is needed.
Key Vocabulary:
- non-profit = not for business profit
- deduct = subtract from tax
Question Focus: Synonym match - summary uses 'receive' instead of 'get'
Correct Answer: adequate answers
Passage Reference: If you don't get adequate answers, don't give anything.
Why this is correct: The passage says if you do not get adequate answers, you should not give. The summary restates this advice.
Common Mistake: Writing information is too general and not the wording used. This is a synonym trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'get adequate answers' = Summary: 'receive [GAP] to your questions'
Tips: Check if the passage uses a fixed phrase. Copy it exactly.
Key Vocabulary:
- adequate = enough
- expenses = costs
Question Focus: Direct match with explanation
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 the mission. The summary mirrors this idea.
Common Mistake: Students may write abortion rights, which is just one example, not the category. This is a partial truth trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'groups that support controversial causes' = Summary: 'Organisations which help [GAP]'
Tips: Prefer the general term used by the writer, not a specific example.
Key Vocabulary:
- controversial = causing disagreement
- efficient = working well
Question Focus: Synonym match - summary shortens the idea
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 may not have resources to solicit funds. The summary refers to these less well-known organisations.
Common Mistake: Writing raise money is a synonym but not the exact wording. This is a synonym trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'not have the resources to solicit funds' = Summary: 'organisations who [GAP]'
Tips: Verb phrases can be answers, but you must copy them exactly.
Key Vocabulary:
- solicit = ask for
- resources = money and support
Question Focus: Direct match
Correct Answer: fraudulent
Passage Reference: Don't give out the 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, e-mail, or door-to-door appeals may be fraudulent. The summary repeats this warning about email appeals.
Common Mistake: Students may write dangerous, which changes the meaning. The issue is cheating, not physical danger. This is a paraphrase trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'They may be fraudulent**' = Summary: 'email appeals are [GAP]'
Tips: Adjectives often follow 'are'. Check the sentence structure.
Key Vocabulary:
- fraudulent = fake or dishonest
- appeal = request
General Tips:
- FIB summaries follow passage order. Once you find gap 1, keep scanning forward.
- Always copy the exact word or phrase from the passage. Synonyms are marked wrong.
- Check the word limit carefully. Even one extra word is incorrect.
- Use grammar clues like articles, prepositions, and verbs to predict the answer type.
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