Checking Out Charities

If you’re unsure whether an organization is a legitimate tax-exempt charity, you can look it up on the Internal Revenue Service’s Web site at https://www.irs.ustreas.gov/cgi/eosearch . The search prompt will ask for the group’s name, city and state.

If you want to check out a charity more thoroughly--the IRS does not track whether a charity spends a reasonable percentage of revenue on programs rather than fund-raising, or whether it participates in ethical advertising and solicitation practices--you can contact the Council of Better Business Bureaus’ Philanthropic Advisory Service. Its address is CBBB Inc., 4200 Wilson Blvd., Suite 800, Arlington, VA 22203-1838; the phone number is (703) 276-0100.

The service, which analyzes about 300 organizations, offers a free copy of the holiday edition of its Give but Give Wisely newsletter to those providing a self-addresses, stamped business size envelope. Local BBB offices often track smaller, local charities.