Check the Appeal: Researching a Charity Before Donating
Verify a fundraising appeal's organisation, destination and claims while keeping the people receiving help out of the investigation.
Illustrative scenario: a message asks for an urgent donation after a disaster. It uses a familiar charity's logo but links to an unfamiliar payment page. Your goal is to verify the appeal and donation channel. Do not investigate the private lives of beneficiaries or contact people pictured in the appeal.
Find the organisation independently
Navigate to the charity's official website independently rather than trusting the message's link. Check the legal name, registration identifier and jurisdiction in the relevant official charity or tax-exempt organisation register. Confirm the current status and whether the register covers this kind of organisation. Some legitimate community fundraisers are not registered charities; absence from a register needs explanation, not an automatic accusation.
Confirm where the payment goes
- Compare the appeal with campaigns linked from the organisation's official site. If uncertain, ask the organisation through an independently verified contact channel.
- Check whether a third-party fundraising platform identifies the organiser and beneficiary, and read its payout and refund terms.
- Inspect the destination hostname before entering details. A copied logo or encrypted connection does not establish affiliation.
- Do not send a test payment or upload identity documents as a research step.
Read reporting in context
Look for annual reports, financial filings and dated updates on the relevant programme. Compare the reporting period with the current appeal: last year's accounts cannot prove how this week's donations are being used. Administrative spending ratios vary with the work and accounting practices; they are not a stand-alone measure of impact. Independent evaluations can inform a decision, but note their methods and coverage.
Handle images and gaps responsibly
A reverse image search can show that an appeal photo appeared in an older campaign. That may indicate reuse with permission, a mistaken caption or deception; request clarification before choosing among those explanations. Do not publish identifying details of children or vulnerable people. Finish with a narrow conclusion such as 'charity registration confirmed; this payment page not yet confirmed by the charity.' If verification fails, donate through the independently located official channel instead.