Charitable Solicitation Licensing Manual

Check Before You Write One

In the Check Before You Write One section of the Charities main page, there is a quote by the NC Secretary of State, Elaine F. Marshall:

"North Carolinians are known for their generosity and willingness to help their neighbors. While there are many deserving organizations that need our support to continue their good works, we all want to ensure that our hard-earned money is going to be spent wisely when we donate to our favorite causes. A quick call to our Charitable Solicitation Licensing Section can help you educate yourself about an organization’s background before you make a donation. In short, I advise all North Carolinians to ‘check before you write one."--Elaine F. Marshall, NC Secretary of State.

Below Secretary Marshall's quote is a Smart Donor Checklist button.

Click Smart Donor Checklist.

This link takes you to a PDF copy of the Smart Donor Checklist. See Figure 276.

The checklist lists questions that you can ask a charitable organization before donating your money. The checklist also includes tips for safe donation.

• Don’t give credit card information over the phone or email.
• Don’t give bank account information over the phone or email.
• Don't agree to pay in cash and nver mail cash.
• Don't send a donation without checking the facts about the organization.