Chattooga County residents are known to be generous people.  Over the years, many local organizations have received thousands of dollars in donations from local residents.  Organizations like the Chattooga Shrine Club and the North Georgia Cruisers are familiar to most area residents, but what about organizations that may contact you that you aren’t familiar with?

With “Giving Tuesday” just a little over two weeks away, now is a good time to plan to give to your favorite charity, but it is also a good time to research charitable organizations who may contact you over the next two weeks.  Giving Tuesday is a recent trend that follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday after Thanksgiving with the goal of raising money for worthy causes.

Just because a organization is considered “non-profit” doesn’t mean that most of the money that is donated goes to charitable causes.  Many organizations with less-than-stellar reputations will up their contacts this time of year because people are usually more generous closer to the Holidays.

According to Charity Navigator, an independent organization that monitors charities, there are some important questions you should ask before donating to a particular charitable organization. What are the organization’s mission, goals, and history of success?  Charity Navigator says, “If a charity struggles to answer these questions, consider giving elsewhere. You want your donation to go far to support a cause you care about. Organizations should take the time to answer your questions — your donation should be valuable to them, just like the time they’re spending building a relationship with you. If the fundraiser who contacts you refuses to answer these questions, leads you around in a circle, or tries to pass off these questions as not important, your donation will be better served elsewhere. ”

You can find more information about Charity Navigator here.