LIFE · BMC FIELD MANUAL
Charity Donation Verification Checklist: Identity, Impact and Records
Generosity does not require haste. Confirm the organization behind the appeal, understand what your gift can and cannot accomplish, use a payment route you can document, and keep the evidence needed for follow-up or taxes.
The useful answer
- Verify the charity’s exact legal name, website, address and tax identifier through independent official sources rather than links or phone numbers supplied by an unsolicited appeal.
- Tax-exempt status, eligibility to receive tax-deductible gifts and a high-impact program are different questions; check each claim separately.
- Ask how much reaches the named program, whether a professional fundraiser is involved, whether the gift is restricted, and how recurring charges or data sharing work.
- Pay through the charity’s verified route, resist unusual payment pressure, and save the appeal, confirmation, receipt and any restriction or cancellation terms.
Pause the appeal and identify the legal organization
Write the name exactly as presented, then look for the legal name, physical address, main website, tax identification number and state of organization. Search independently rather than using a link in an unexpected text, email, social advertisement or QR code. Scammers can imitate a known charity, use a confusingly similar name or create a campaign around a real disaster before reliable organizations have established a response.
Call the number published on the independently verified official site when an appeal is surprising or material. Ask whether the campaign, caller, crowdfunding page or event is authorized. If the request invokes a personal connection, contact that person through a known channel. Urgency, emotional detail and a familiar logo do not prove identity. A legitimate organization should allow time to verify and should explain its legal identity and payment route.
- Name used in appeal and exact legal name: ________
- Official website, address, telephone and EIN: ________
- Campaign authorization confirmed through independent route: yes / no
- Appeal saved with date, sender, URL and requested payment method: ________
Use official records for status and filings
Use the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search to check federal tax-exempt status, eligibility to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions, determination letters, Form 990-series returns and automatic-revocation records when available. Search the exact legal name and EIN because names can collide. An organization may be tax-exempt without every payment to it being deductible, and deductibility can depend on the recipient, the gift and whether the donor receives goods or services.
Check the relevant state charity regulator for registration and solicitation information where applicable. Registration is not a quality award, and absence from one database is not automatically proof of wrongdoing; religious organizations and other entities can have different filing requirements. Treat official records as identity and compliance evidence, then investigate program and governance questions separately. A qualified tax professional should answer deduction questions that materially affect a return.
- IRS record matched by exact legal name and EIN on: ________
- Deductible-contribution eligibility shown for relevant date: yes / no / unclear
- Latest Form 990, determination letter or reason for expected exemption: ________
- State regulator record and any unresolved filing issue: ________
Interrogate the claim, program and fundraiser relationship
Restate the appeal in a testable sentence: the organization says a gift will fund which activity, for whom, where and during what period? Look for recent program reporting, named methods, measurable outputs, limitations and corrections. Administrative and fundraising costs are real parts of operating a charity, so a single overhead percentage is not a complete impact score. Favor transparent goals, evidence and governance over an impossibly clean ratio or an emotional anecdote presented as typical.
Ask whether the person or company soliciting is the charity, a professional fundraiser, an event organizer or an independent crowdfunding beneficiary. The FTC advises asking what percentage of a donation goes to the charity and whether the caller is a paid fundraiser. Clarify whether the gift supports a specific program, the general fund, an individual, a fiscal sponsor or a campaign platform, and whether the organization can honor any proposed restriction.
- Specific program, population, location and time period claimed: ________
- Evidence or reporting located, with date: ________
- Solicitor’s relationship to the legal charity and compensation: ________
- Restricted, unrestricted, pass-through or crowdfunding gift: ________
Review payment, recurring terms and privacy before submitting
Navigate to the payment page from the independently verified official site. Confirm the domain, recipient name, amount, frequency and whether a platform adds a tip, fee or optional recurring charge. The FTC warns against demands to donate by gift card, cryptocurrency, wire transfer or cash. A request for those hard-to-recover methods, pressure to pay immediately or instructions to send money to an unrelated individual should stop the transaction while identity is investigated.
Read how the charity and payment processor collect, use and share donor information. Decide whether public recognition, employer matching, mailing-list enrollment or contact sharing is optional. Use only the data required for the chosen payment and receipt. For a recurring gift, record the amount, charge date, cancellation route and confirmation process. Do not send bank credentials, account passwords, verification codes or identity documents because a caller claims they are needed to receive a donation.
- Verified domain and legal recipient on payment screen: ________
- One-time or recurring amount, fees and charge date: ________
- Privacy, recognition and data-sharing choices reviewed: yes / no
- Cancellation, refund and contact route saved: ________
Document the gift and the value received
Save the appeal, organization record, payment confirmation and contemporaneous receipt together. The receipt should identify the organization and date and amount of the contribution. If a donor receives a meal, ticket, merchandise, membership benefit or other value, the deductible amount may differ from the payment. IRS substantiation rules depend on contribution type and amount, so use current official guidance or a tax professional rather than treating a payment-screen thank-you as universal tax proof.
For noncash gifts, confirm that the organization accepts the item and can use it. Record the item, condition, transfer date and acknowledgment, but do not ask the charity to assign the donor’s fair market value. Vehicle, property, appreciated asset and large noncash donations can involve additional forms, appraisals and timing rules. Pause and obtain qualified tax or legal advice before executing a material or complex gift.
- Receipt identifies organization, date and cash amount or property: yes / no
- Goods or services received and stated value: ________
- Restriction, acknowledgment and matching-gift evidence saved: ________
- Tax or legal review needed because of amount or asset type: yes / no
Create a repeatable giving record and escalation path
For repeat giving, keep a compact annual record with the organization’s legal identity, mission fit, most recent filings, program evidence, privacy choices, gift history and next review date. Recheck rather than assuming last year’s status, leadership, campaign or payment processor remains current. A planned giving budget makes it easier to evaluate requests on merit and decline pressure without abandoning generosity.
If a charge, identity or representation looks wrong, contact the charity through its verified route and the payment provider promptly, preserve screenshots and write a timeline. Report suspected charity fraud to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the relevant state charity regulator or attorney general. Contact the financial institution immediately for an unauthorized payment. A disputed result should not be embellished online; keep claims tied to documented facts and official complaint channels.
- Mission fit and reason for gift: ________
- Annual giving amount and next review date: ________
- Files saved: appeal / verification / receipt / restriction / correspondence
- Escalation route if something goes wrong: charity / payment provider / FTC / state regulator / qualified adviser
Frequently asked questions
Does IRS tax-exempt status prove a charity is effective?
No. It establishes a federal tax status, not program quality or impact. Verify identity and deductibility through official records, then assess current programs, evidence, governance and fit separately.
Are donations made through crowdfunding tax-deductible?
Not automatically. It depends on the legal recipient and arrangement, not the platform label. Confirm whether a qualified organization receives the gift and consult current IRS guidance or a tax professional for your situation.
What payment request is a major charity-scam warning?
The FTC warns about demands for gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers or cash. Stop when a solicitor insists on a hard-to-recover method, immediate payment or a recipient that does not match the verified charity.
Is a low overhead ratio enough to choose a charity?
No. Costs do not describe outcomes by themselves. Review the program claim, evidence, governance, financial context and the organization’s honest explanation of what resources are required.
Sources and further reading
Claims checked against these official or professional sources on October 15, 2026.
- Federal Trade Commission — Before Giving to a CharityOfficial consumer guidance on researching a charity, paid fundraisers, payment requests, receipts and scam reporting.
- Federal Trade Commission — Donating Safely and Avoiding ScamsFTC resources for checking appeals, recognizing impersonation and reporting suspected fraud.
- IRS — Tax Exempt Organization SearchOfficial search for federal tax status, deductible-contribution eligibility, filings, determination letters and revocations.
- IRS — Tips for DonorsOfficial donor guidance on qualified organizations, records, quid pro quo contributions and noncash gifts.
- IRS — Charitable ContributionsOfficial overview of contribution deductibility and substantiation topics, subject to current rules and individual facts.