Avoid Fraud; Give to Established Charities : Recession Has Swollen Need and Shrunk Contributions

‘Tis the season when people open their hearts and their pocketbooks to those who are less fortunate--an impulse that should be honored and encouraged. Unfortunately, fraudulent charities flourish in Orange County, threatening this generosity by sullying the reputations of legitimate agencies and jading the good intentions of givers. Orange County residents can ensure their gifts are going toward the purposes for which they are intended by following a few common-sense guidelines.

One of the best ways to make sure monetary gifts go to the right place is to select a charity that is well-established in the community. Donors can seek out information about the agency, including how much of the money collected is used for fund raising and how much goes toward actual services.

It also is a good idea never to give a donation to a messenger who has been sent directly to one’s door--a common tactic of fraudulent agencies because it helps them avoid postal inspectors. Any agency that is legitimate can wait for a check to be mailed. Also, donors should never give cash or credit card numbers.

It would help all legitimate agencies in Orange County if there were uniform fund-raising regulations in the county and its 31 cities. A task force, Charities for Truth in Giving, has been working on such a plan, but it’s been slow going. It would require fund-raisers to register with one centralized office and pay a registration fee, which would be used to provide information and field complaints. Every effort should be made to have the uniform ordinances in place by next year’s holiday season.

Meanwhile, one of the best ways to make sure charitable gifts get to the right place is to enroll in a United Way payroll deduction program at work. The United Way of Orange County carefully screens the 110 groups that are under its umbrella. It also allows donors to donate three ways: spread their gift among all agencies, pick an area of concern (such as homelessness) or donate the entire amount to one charitable group. Among the many worthwhile services the United Way underwrites are girls’ and boys’ clubs, battered women’s shelters, elderly and handicapped services and disaster relief.

Unfortunately, concern about the fraudulent charities also comes at a time when the good charities are for other reasons facing tough sledding in their fund-raising. The United Way of Orange County is falling short of its $21.5-million fund-raising goal for 1992-93, primarily because of a decline in workplace contributions due to the recession.

Nonprofit agencies throughout Orange County have had a difficult fund-raising season this Christmas. By the middle of December, donations to the Salvation Army were lagging behind. The Toys for Tots coordinator at the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station earlier this month reported a sharp decline in the number of toys donated, even as requests for those toys from agencies increased.

Indeed, agency administrators have reported income levels down anywhere from 5% to 50% compared to last year’s. As is the case with Toys for Tots, the decrease in giving has been accompanied elsewhere by an increase in demand.

So the need is great in a difficult economy. “We hold out great hope that things will change,” said Mary Douglas, executive director of the Santa Ana YWCA. Maybe some of us can dig a little deeper. The holiday season is a good time to renew the commitment to any charitable agency of one’s choosing. All are in need, and every donation counts.