“A $1 here and $5 there adds up. Organizations raise millions of dollars every year.”
“'This can be a very efficient way to raise a lot of money very cheaply,' Laurie Styron, the executive director of CharityWatch said."
"CharityWatch is the only independent charity watchdog organization in the country. Styron says [donating to] charity at the checkout can be a double-edged sword for customers."
“'Let’s face it, inflation is very high. People are already very stretched and it’s really not fair to put people in that position where they have to make such an impulsive decision and feel pressured to donate before they’ve had time to research the organization,' Styron said."
"Styron says don’t feel pressured into giving. You can research organizations on CharityWatch’s website to see where your donation is going. You’ll find A through F ratings on each organization."
“It can vary widely how much of your donation really ends up being spent on charitable work. Generally speaking all the money that’s donated does get to the charity but the charity, depending on which charity it is, might have very high overhead,' Styron said."
"Styron says charities [should] spend at least 75% of your donation on their programs and keep their fundraising ratio down to about $25 or less to raise every hundred dollars of public support."
"If you aren’t sure where your donation is going, Styron says don’t donate impulsively."