A quick search on Google Trends shows that people become more interested in charity and giving in the approach to the holiday season (but note the sharp decline in the second half of December).



The chart also shows much greater interest in giving in wake of a major crisis. Both the 2004 Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina precipitated numerous Google searches as people tried to figure out how to help.

Unfortunately the holiday season and crisis events also bring out the scammers. The unscrupulous can make it difficult for the well intentioned private donor to avoid being scammed and to ensure that maximum use is being made of their contribution.

Charity Navigator can take some of the risk out of giving. The site evaluates the financial health of over 5,300 charities using two broad indicators; organizational efficiency and organizational capacity. In short they seek to measure how effectively organizations will use your donations.

Charity Navigator also has a valuable tips and resources section that will help keep you from being scammed and ensure that your money is spent the way you expect it to be spent.

Tags: Fraud, online tools, Tips

World Vision International is warning that fraudulent recruiters are bilking applicants out of "training" and "recruitment" fees. If you have received any of these bogus offers please help out by forwarding them to emp_fraud@wvi.org.

Tags: Jobs, Tips, Fraud