A checklist to follow before you donate money to NGOs

 As a frequent donor to different charitable organizations and NGOs, many of my friends and family members ask me this same question regarding the safety of the donations I make. When I used to have conversations with people about contributing to society, a lot of them wished to donate money to NGOs but were skeptical on whether their hard-earned money would go to the right place. 

From my experience over the past few years, I have found that making online donations is the safest and hassle-free method of contributing to NGOs or charities. I used to make about 2-3 online donations each month during the COVID-19 pandemic as I could not step out but wanted to help out in any way I could. If you wish to make a safe and secure online donation too, I have created a checklist that you can go through to verify the credibility of NGOs and payment methods:


  1. Check the work done and initiatives undertaken by the organization: You can find thorough information regarding the mission, goals, campaigns run, and places of operation of an NGO on their website. I have seen that multiple organizations also post pictures and videos of their community outreach programs on their social media handles. 

  2. Check how the organizations utilize donated funds: Credible NGOs showcase how the donations are allocated towards different activities within the organization. For example, a food NGO that I recently donated to show the percentage of funds allocated to meal preparation, distribution, and program management. This made me more confident that the money I donated would be used for the specified cause. 

  3. Check testimonials: Testimonials of previous donors or individuals associated with the organization are usually available on the NGO website or other online sources. You will get a deeper understanding of their donating experience, views about the NGO, and different projects undertaken. 

  4. Check the credibility of payment methods: Before going through with an online donation, it is very important to ensure that the payment gateways are secured. NGOs have been accepting donations through direct transfers, net banking, card payments, or UPI gateways. Make sure that the gateway you choose is familiar and known to be safe for payments. You should provide only essential information that cannot be shared without authorization and receive validation of payment in the form of a bill or receipt.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How you can donate to NGOs in India to help underprivileged children within society

  The children hold the beacon of light to reshape the future of a nation. However, thousands of children in India are not equipped to harness their full potential due to the lack of basic education and required nourishment. This can be observed by the stark figures showing that approximately 32 million Indian children have not been to school. NGOs in India are proving to be the backbone of our society, continually doing a tremendous job at addressing these requirements of children in marginalised sections of society. They have also made a tangible impact by truly improving the quality of life of innumerable children, families and communities within our nation. If you want to help them, then donate to NGOs and combat illiteracy, malnutrition and other societal malice along with them. You can be a part of these phenomenal missions, and put your best foot forward to help our country grow in a number of ways: Online Donations: This quick, seamless and flexible way of donating can go ...
Read more