Monetary donations to organizations - serious or dubious, that is the question here
Created: 01/15/2022 10:02 am
By: Ines Baur
With cute pictures of kittens, dubious organizations like to pull money out of the pockets of people willing to donate.
© picture alliance / dpa |
Patrick Pleul
Anyone who donates money wants to do good.
But how can donors be sure that their money will go where it is needed?
Instead of falling for scammers?
Berlin - In Germany alone there are more than 600,000 registered associations and around 22,000 foundations.
Many exist and collect donations.
By September 2021, Germans had donated around 3.8 billion euros.
According to the German Donations Council, this was by far the best result since the surveys began. Compared to the previous year, the level of donations even rose by 14 percent.
Nobody wants to be tricked - Reputable organizations recognize
Such numbers speak for themselves and show the great willingness of the people in this country to donate. But in addition to the many reputable institutions, there are black sheep. And that has to be identified. No one wants to be fooled or taken advantage of. Trust and transparency are important when donating. After all, the generous donors want their money to reach those who need it. Not with scammers who cheekily rip you off. It is not uncommon for con artists to use psychological tricks quite cleverly in order to get donations.
"If you are looking for a suitable donation organization, you should not be blinded by pathetic and very emotional images," advises the consumer
portal Biallo
.
"Associations and institutions that use such images are usually not serious." It is also worth investigating more closely about the use of the donations.
If an organization doesn't really come out with the language, it's better to keep your hands off it.
Consumers should do their research before donating
Information on organizations and institutions can be found, for example, at the
German Central Institute for Social Issues (DZI) foundation.
According to the DZI, the donor advisory service closes the gap in trust between donors and aid organizations.
The body is regarded as a testing body “which independently and competently evaluates the business conduct of aid organizations.
With her recommendations she gives donors and the public security, with her criticism she warns of abuses and black sheep.”