Who Not To Give To On Giving Tuesday

A spiritual follow-up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, today is Giving Tuesday.

It’s said to be a global initiative of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to collaborate and give back to their favourite causes.

Now in its sixth year, plenty of local charities are getting on board. There are many worthwhile organizations to which you could donate your hard-earned cash, we can’t suggest any for you. But we can tell you who you should NOT be donating to, by way of the Barrie Police Service’s Jennett Mays.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”Just do a little bit of research…”[/perfectpullquote]

Mays tells Barrie 360 to be nosy, “The best way is to do your research. If it’s not a charity that you’re already familiar with, maybe it’s a good idea to look them up a bit. If you’re speaking to someone, ask them where your donations go and how the money will be used. Just do a little bit of research and get some background before you donate, if its not a charity that you’re familiar with.”

The Barrie Police Service says some phony charities do crop up this time of year and mysteriously disappear after the holidays. Some are even brazen enough to come knocking on your door. Mays says it is easy to spot them. “They probably should have identification. You could always call the charity too, and ask if they are doing door-to-door solicitations for donations at this time of year. They should be able to let you know what area they’re in, and if they’re out doing that sort of thing. And they should indicate on their website too if they’re going to be doing that type of fundraising at this time of year.”

Last year, over six million Canadians got involved in Giving Tuesday. You can learn more about what charities are involved by visiting www.GivingTuesday.ca