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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Check Twice Before Donating</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 12/14/24 by <b>Ronda Gooden</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="center"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/cd/3b/86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58/check-twice-before-donating.jpg" alt="Unrecognizable woman holding donation box" width="6720" height="4480"/> </figure> </div> </div><p>It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. Legitimate charities make a big push at year-end for last-minute annual donations. Scammers know this and make their own end-of-year push to line their pockets.<br><br>If a charity solicits you for a donation, even if your first instinct is to contribute, take a pause. Many fake charities have legitimate-looking websites and names, making them hard to identify as fraudulent. Others are registered nonprofits but devote little of the money they raise to the programs they promote.<br><br>Research the charity on sites such as <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://give.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">give.org</a></span></span>, <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitynavigator.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityNavigator.org,</a></span></span> or <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitywatch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityWatch.org</a></span></span> to make sure that it’s legitimate and to find out what percentage of their donations are actually used to serve their stated mission versus paying for overhead and fundraising.<br><br></p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Mississippi. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/mississippi/" target="_blank">AARP Mississippi</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); 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} </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Mississippi</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:MSAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">MSAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/mississippi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Mississippi</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/heres-how-to-contact-aarp-mississippi/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-JACKSON-MS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); 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Legitimate charities make a big push at year-end for last-minute annual donations. Scammers know this and make their own end-of-year push to line their pockets.<br><br>If a charity solicits you for a donation, even if your first instinct is to contribute, take a pause. Many fake charities have legitimate-looking websites and names, making them hard to identify as fraudulent. Others are registered nonprofits but devote little of the money they raise to the programs they promote.<br><br>Research the charity on sites such as <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://give.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">give.org</a></span></span>, <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitynavigator.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityNavigator.org,</a></span></span> or <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitywatch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityWatch.org</a></span></span> to make sure that it’s legitimate and to find out what percentage of their donations are actually used to serve their stated mission versus paying for overhead and fundraising.<br><br></p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Mississippi. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/mississippi/" target="_blank">AARP Mississippi</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); 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} </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Mississippi</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:MSAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">MSAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/mississippi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Mississippi</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/heres-how-to-contact-aarp-mississippi/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-JACKSON-MS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); 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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Check Twice Before Donating</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 12/14/24 by <b>Ronda Gooden</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="center"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/cd/3b/86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58/check-twice-before-donating.jpg" alt="Unrecognizable woman holding donation box" width="6720" height="4480"/> </figure> </div> </div><p>It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. Legitimate charities make a big push at year-end for last-minute annual donations. Scammers know this and make their own end-of-year push to line their pockets.<br><br>If a charity solicits you for a donation, even if your first instinct is to contribute, take a pause. Many fake charities have legitimate-looking websites and names, making them hard to identify as fraudulent. Others are registered nonprofits but devote little of the money they raise to the programs they promote.<br><br>Research the charity on sites such as <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://give.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">give.org</a></span></span>, <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitynavigator.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityNavigator.org,</a></span></span> or <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitywatch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityWatch.org</a></span></span> to make sure that it’s legitimate and to find out what percentage of their donations are actually used to serve their stated mission versus paying for overhead and fundraising.<br><br></p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Mississippi. 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} </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; 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Legitimate"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/15df606/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6720x4320+0+80/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fcd%2F3b%2F86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58%2Fcheck-twice-before-donating.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }', 'title_for_layout' => '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Check Twice Before Donating</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 12/14/24 by <b>Ronda Gooden</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="center"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/cd/3b/86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58/check-twice-before-donating.jpg" alt="Unrecognizable woman holding donation box" width="6720" height="4480"/> </figure> </div> </div><p>It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. Legitimate charities make a big push at year-end for last-minute annual donations. Scammers know this and make their own end-of-year push to line their pockets.<br><br>If a charity solicits you for a donation, even if your first instinct is to contribute, take a pause. Many fake charities have legitimate-looking websites and names, making them hard to identify as fraudulent. Others are registered nonprofits but devote little of the money they raise to the programs they promote.<br><br>Research the charity on sites such as <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://give.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">give.org</a></span></span>, <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitynavigator.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityNavigator.org,</a></span></span> or <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitywatch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityWatch.org</a></span></span> to make sure that it’s legitimate and to find out what percentage of their donations are actually used to serve their stated mission versus paying for overhead and fundraising.<br><br></p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Mississippi. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/mississippi/" target="_blank">AARP Mississippi</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); 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} </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Mississippi</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:MSAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">MSAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/mississippi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Mississippi</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/heres-how-to-contact-aarp-mississippi/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-JACKSON-MS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); 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Warning (2): include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.resource.root.html) [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 54]Code Context<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBD
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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Check Twice Before Donating</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 12/14/24 by <b>Ronda Gooden</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="center"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/cd/3b/86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58/check-twice-before-donating.jpg" alt="Unrecognizable woman holding donation box" width="6720" height="4480"/> </figure> </div> </div><p>It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. Legitimate charities make a big push at year-end for last-minute annual donations. Scammers know this and make their own end-of-year push to line their pockets.<br><br>If a charity solicits you for a donation, even if your first instinct is to contribute, take a pause. Many fake charities have legitimate-looking websites and names, making them hard to identify as fraudulent. Others are registered nonprofits but devote little of the money they raise to the programs they promote.<br><br>Research the charity on sites such as <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://give.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">give.org</a></span></span>, <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitynavigator.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityNavigator.org,</a></span></span> or <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitywatch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityWatch.org</a></span></span> to make sure that it’s legitimate and to find out what percentage of their donations are actually used to serve their stated mission versus paying for overhead and fundraising.<br><br></p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Mississippi. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/mississippi/" target="_blank">AARP Mississippi</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); 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Legitimate" name="description"/> <meta content="Check, Twice, Before, Donating" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/mississippi/check-twice-before-donating" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/check-twice-before-donating-ms-2024-12-14.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Check Twice Before Donating"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. Legitimate"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/15df606/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6720x4320+0+80/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fcd%2F3b%2F86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58%2Fcheck-twice-before-donating.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Check Twice Before Donating"/> <meta property="og:description" content="It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. Legitimate"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/15df606/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6720x4320+0+80/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fcd%2F3b%2F86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58%2Fcheck-twice-before-donating.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }', 'title_for_layout' => '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Check Twice Before Donating</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 12/14/24 by <b>Ronda Gooden</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="center"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/cd/3b/86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58/check-twice-before-donating.jpg" alt="Unrecognizable woman holding donation box" width="6720" height="4480"/> </figure> </div> </div><p>It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. Legitimate charities make a big push at year-end for last-minute annual donations. Scammers know this and make their own end-of-year push to line their pockets.<br><br>If a charity solicits you for a donation, even if your first instinct is to contribute, take a pause. Many fake charities have legitimate-looking websites and names, making them hard to identify as fraudulent. Others are registered nonprofits but devote little of the money they raise to the programs they promote.<br><br>Research the charity on sites such as <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://give.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">give.org</a></span></span>, <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitynavigator.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityNavigator.org,</a></span></span> or <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitywatch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityWatch.org</a></span></span> to make sure that it’s legitimate and to find out what percentage of their donations are actually used to serve their stated mission versus paying for overhead and fundraising.<br><br></p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Mississippi. 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} </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Mississippi</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:MSAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">MSAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/mississippi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Mississippi</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/heres-how-to-contact-aarp-mississippi/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-JACKSON-MS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); 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Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 54]Code Context<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBD
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} </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Mississippi</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:MSAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">MSAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/mississippi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Mississippi</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/heres-how-to-contact-aarp-mississippi/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-JACKSON-MS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); 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Legitimate charities make a big push at year-end for last-minute annual donations. Scammers know this and make their own end-of-year push to line their pockets.<br><br>If a charity solicits you for a donation, even if your first instinct is to contribute, take a pause. Many fake charities have legitimate-looking websites and names, making them hard to identify as fraudulent. Others are registered nonprofits but devote little of the money they raise to the programs they promote.<br><br>Research the charity on sites such as <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://give.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">give.org</a></span></span>, <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitynavigator.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityNavigator.org,</a></span></span> or <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitywatch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityWatch.org</a></span></span> to make sure that it’s legitimate and to find out what percentage of their donations are actually used to serve their stated mission versus paying for overhead and fundraising.<br><br></p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Mississippi. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/mississippi/" target="_blank">AARP Mississippi</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); 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} </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Mississippi</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:MSAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">MSAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/mississippi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Mississippi</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/heres-how-to-contact-aarp-mississippi/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-JACKSON-MS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); 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It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. Legitimate charities make a big push at year-end for last-minute annual donations. Scammers know this and make their own end-of-year push to line their pockets.
If a charity solicits you for a donation, even if your first instinct is to contribute, take a pause. Many fake charities have legitimate-looking websites and names, making them hard to identify as fraudulent. Others are registered nonprofits but devote little of the money they raise to the programs they promote.
Research the charity on sites such as give.org, CharityNavigator.org, or CharityWatch.org to make sure that it’s legitimate and to find out what percentage of their donations are actually used to serve their stated mission versus paying for overhead and fundraising.
This story is provided by AARP Mississippi. Visit the AARP Mississippi page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. CT
Zoom and Facebook
Online Event
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. CT
YouTube
Online Event
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. CT
Zoom
Online Event
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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Check Twice Before Donating</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 12/14/24 by <b>Ronda Gooden</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="center"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/cd/3b/86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58/check-twice-before-donating.jpg" alt="Unrecognizable woman holding donation box" width="6720" height="4480"/> </figure> </div> </div><p>It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. Legitimate charities make a big push at year-end for last-minute annual donations. Scammers know this and make their own end-of-year push to line their pockets.<br><br>If a charity solicits you for a donation, even if your first instinct is to contribute, take a pause. Many fake charities have legitimate-looking websites and names, making them hard to identify as fraudulent. Others are registered nonprofits but devote little of the money they raise to the programs they promote.<br><br>Research the charity on sites such as <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://give.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">give.org</a></span></span>, <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitynavigator.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityNavigator.org,</a></span></span> or <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitywatch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityWatch.org</a></span></span> to make sure that it’s legitimate and to find out what percentage of their donations are actually used to serve their stated mission versus paying for overhead and fundraising.<br><br></p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Mississippi. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/mississippi/" target="_blank">AARP Mississippi</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); 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} </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; 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Legitimate"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/15df606/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6720x4320+0+80/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fcd%2F3b%2F86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58%2Fcheck-twice-before-donating.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Check Twice Before Donating"/> <meta property="og:description" content="It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. Legitimate"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/15df606/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6720x4320+0+80/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fcd%2F3b%2F86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58%2Fcheck-twice-before-donating.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }', 'title_for_layout' => '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Check Twice Before Donating</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 12/14/24 by <b>Ronda Gooden</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="center"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/cd/3b/86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58/check-twice-before-donating.jpg" alt="Unrecognizable woman holding donation box" width="6720" height="4480"/> </figure> </div> </div><p>It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. Legitimate charities make a big push at year-end for last-minute annual donations. Scammers know this and make their own end-of-year push to line their pockets.<br><br>If a charity solicits you for a donation, even if your first instinct is to contribute, take a pause. Many fake charities have legitimate-looking websites and names, making them hard to identify as fraudulent. Others are registered nonprofits but devote little of the money they raise to the programs they promote.<br><br>Research the charity on sites such as <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://give.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">give.org</a></span></span>, <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitynavigator.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityNavigator.org,</a></span></span> or <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitywatch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityWatch.org</a></span></span> to make sure that it’s legitimate and to find out what percentage of their donations are actually used to serve their stated mission versus paying for overhead and fundraising.<br><br></p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Mississippi. 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} </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; 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Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242]Code Context<?php // if (!$nowrapper) (Globals::$language == 'es') ? include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer_es.html") : include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer.html"); ?>
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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Check Twice Before Donating</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 12/14/24 by <b>Ronda Gooden</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="center"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/cd/3b/86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58/check-twice-before-donating.jpg" alt="Unrecognizable woman holding donation box" width="6720" height="4480"/> </figure> </div> </div><p>It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. 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} </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; 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Legitimate charities make a big push at year-end for last-minute annual donations. Scammers know this and make their own end-of-year push to line their pockets.<br><br>If a charity solicits you for a donation, even if your first instinct is to contribute, take a pause. Many fake charities have legitimate-looking websites and names, making them hard to identify as fraudulent. Others are registered nonprofits but devote little of the money they raise to the programs they promote.<br><br>Research the charity on sites such as <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://give.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">give.org</a></span></span>, <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitynavigator.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityNavigator.org,</a></span></span> or <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitywatch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityWatch.org</a></span></span> to make sure that it’s legitimate and to find out what percentage of their donations are actually used to serve their stated mission versus paying for overhead and fundraising.<br><br></p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Mississippi. 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} </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Mississippi</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:MSAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">MSAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/mississippi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Mississippi</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/heres-how-to-contact-aarp-mississippi/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-JACKSON-MS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); 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Warning (2): include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html) [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243]Code Context<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBD
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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Check Twice Before Donating</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 12/14/24 by <b>Ronda Gooden</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="center"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/cd/3b/86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58/check-twice-before-donating.jpg" alt="Unrecognizable woman holding donation box" width="6720" height="4480"/> </figure> </div> </div><p>It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. Legitimate charities make a big push at year-end for last-minute annual donations. Scammers know this and make their own end-of-year push to line their pockets.<br><br>If a charity solicits you for a donation, even if your first instinct is to contribute, take a pause. Many fake charities have legitimate-looking websites and names, making them hard to identify as fraudulent. Others are registered nonprofits but devote little of the money they raise to the programs they promote.<br><br>Research the charity on sites such as <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://give.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">give.org</a></span></span>, <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitynavigator.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityNavigator.org,</a></span></span> or <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitywatch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityWatch.org</a></span></span> to make sure that it’s legitimate and to find out what percentage of their donations are actually used to serve their stated mission versus paying for overhead and fundraising.<br><br></p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Mississippi. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/mississippi/" target="_blank">AARP Mississippi</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); 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Legitimate" name="description"/> <meta content="Check, Twice, Before, Donating" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/mississippi/check-twice-before-donating" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/check-twice-before-donating-ms-2024-12-14.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Check Twice Before Donating"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. Legitimate"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/15df606/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6720x4320+0+80/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fcd%2F3b%2F86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58%2Fcheck-twice-before-donating.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Check Twice Before Donating"/> <meta property="og:description" content="It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. Legitimate"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/15df606/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6720x4320+0+80/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fcd%2F3b%2F86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58%2Fcheck-twice-before-donating.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }', 'title_for_layout' => '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Check Twice Before Donating</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 12/14/24 by <b>Ronda Gooden</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="center"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/cd/3b/86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58/check-twice-before-donating.jpg" alt="Unrecognizable woman holding donation box" width="6720" height="4480"/> </figure> </div> </div><p>It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. Legitimate charities make a big push at year-end for last-minute annual donations. Scammers know this and make their own end-of-year push to line their pockets.<br><br>If a charity solicits you for a donation, even if your first instinct is to contribute, take a pause. Many fake charities have legitimate-looking websites and names, making them hard to identify as fraudulent. Others are registered nonprofits but devote little of the money they raise to the programs they promote.<br><br>Research the charity on sites such as <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://give.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">give.org</a></span></span>, <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitynavigator.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityNavigator.org,</a></span></span> or <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitywatch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityWatch.org</a></span></span> to make sure that it’s legitimate and to find out what percentage of their donations are actually used to serve their stated mission versus paying for overhead and fundraising.<br><br></p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Mississippi. 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} </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Mississippi</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:MSAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">MSAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/mississippi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Mississippi</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/heres-how-to-contact-aarp-mississippi/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-JACKSON-MS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); 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Legitimate charities make a big push at year-end for last-minute annual donations. Scammers know this and make their own end-of-year push to line their pockets.<br><br>If a charity solicits you for a donation, even if your first instinct is to contribute, take a pause. Many fake charities have legitimate-looking websites and names, making them hard to identify as fraudulent. 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} </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; 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Legitimate charities make a big push at year-end for last-minute annual donations. Scammers know this and make their own end-of-year push to line their pockets.<br><br>If a charity solicits you for a donation, even if your first instinct is to contribute, take a pause. Many fake charities have legitimate-looking websites and names, making them hard to identify as fraudulent. Others are registered nonprofits but devote little of the money they raise to the programs they promote.<br><br>Research the charity on sites such as <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://give.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">give.org</a></span></span>, <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitynavigator.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityNavigator.org,</a></span></span> or <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitywatch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityWatch.org</a></span></span> to make sure that it’s legitimate and to find out what percentage of their donations are actually used to serve their stated mission versus paying for overhead and fundraising.<br><br></p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Mississippi. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/mississippi/" target="_blank">AARP Mississippi</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); 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} </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Mississippi</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:MSAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">MSAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/mississippi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Mississippi</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/heres-how-to-contact-aarp-mississippi/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-JACKSON-MS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); 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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Check Twice Before Donating</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 12/14/24 by <b>Ronda Gooden</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="center"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/cd/3b/86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58/check-twice-before-donating.jpg" alt="Unrecognizable woman holding donation box" width="6720" height="4480"/> </figure> </div> </div><p>It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. Legitimate charities make a big push at year-end for last-minute annual donations. Scammers know this and make their own end-of-year push to line their pockets.<br><br>If a charity solicits you for a donation, even if your first instinct is to contribute, take a pause. Many fake charities have legitimate-looking websites and names, making them hard to identify as fraudulent. Others are registered nonprofits but devote little of the money they raise to the programs they promote.<br><br>Research the charity on sites such as <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://give.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">give.org</a></span></span>, <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitynavigator.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityNavigator.org,</a></span></span> or <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitywatch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityWatch.org</a></span></span> to make sure that it’s legitimate and to find out what percentage of their donations are actually used to serve their stated mission versus paying for overhead and fundraising.<br><br></p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Mississippi. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/mississippi/" target="_blank">AARP Mississippi</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); 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Legitimate" name="description"/> <meta content="Check, Twice, Before, Donating" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/mississippi/check-twice-before-donating" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/check-twice-before-donating-ms-2024-12-14.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Check Twice Before Donating"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. Legitimate"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/15df606/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6720x4320+0+80/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fcd%2F3b%2F86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58%2Fcheck-twice-before-donating.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Check Twice Before Donating"/> <meta property="og:description" content="It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. Legitimate"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/15df606/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6720x4320+0+80/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fcd%2F3b%2F86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58%2Fcheck-twice-before-donating.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }', 'title_for_layout' => '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Check Twice Before Donating</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 12/14/24 by <b>Ronda Gooden</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="center"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/cd/3b/86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58/check-twice-before-donating.jpg" alt="Unrecognizable woman holding donation box" width="6720" height="4480"/> </figure> </div> </div><p>It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. Legitimate charities make a big push at year-end for last-minute annual donations. Scammers know this and make their own end-of-year push to line their pockets.<br><br>If a charity solicits you for a donation, even if your first instinct is to contribute, take a pause. Many fake charities have legitimate-looking websites and names, making them hard to identify as fraudulent. Others are registered nonprofits but devote little of the money they raise to the programs they promote.<br><br>Research the charity on sites such as <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://give.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">give.org</a></span></span>, <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitynavigator.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityNavigator.org,</a></span></span> or <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitywatch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityWatch.org</a></span></span> to make sure that it’s legitimate and to find out what percentage of their donations are actually used to serve their stated mission versus paying for overhead and fundraising.<br><br></p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Mississippi. 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} </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Mississippi</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:MSAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">MSAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/mississippi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Mississippi</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/heres-how-to-contact-aarp-mississippi/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-JACKSON-MS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); 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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Check Twice Before Donating</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 12/14/24 by <b>Ronda Gooden</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="center"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/cd/3b/86cf93724993a9e3c69dbb998e58/check-twice-before-donating.jpg" alt="Unrecognizable woman holding donation box" width="6720" height="4480"/> </figure> </div> </div><p>It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. 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} </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; 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Legitimate charities make a big push at year-end for last-minute annual donations. Scammers know this and make their own end-of-year push to line their pockets.<br><br>If a charity solicits you for a donation, even if your first instinct is to contribute, take a pause. Many fake charities have legitimate-looking websites and names, making them hard to identify as fraudulent. Others are registered nonprofits but devote little of the money they raise to the programs they promote.<br><br>Research the charity on sites such as <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://give.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">give.org</a></span></span>, <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitynavigator.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityNavigator.org,</a></span></span> or <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.charitywatch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CharityWatch.org</a></span></span> to make sure that it’s legitimate and to find out what percentage of their donations are actually used to serve their stated mission versus paying for overhead and fundraising.<br><br></p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Mississippi. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/mississippi/" target="_blank">AARP Mississippi</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); 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} </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-JACKSON-MS">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Mississippi Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Mississippi</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:MSAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">MSAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/mississippi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Mississippi</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/heres-how-to-contact-aarp-mississippi/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-JACKSON-MS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpMS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); 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