You want your donations to reach the right person. That’s why it’s important to ask questions whenever you’re asked to give. Do some research before donating. You should know, for example, exactly how much of your donation goes to the program you want to support. Don’t donate until you’re sure it will make a difference.

Visit the Charity’s website. Does it give information about the programs you want to support, or how it uses donations? How much of your donation will go directly to support the programs you care about? If you can’t find detailed information about a charity’s mission and programs, then it may not be a good idea to donate.

Ask how much of your donation will go directly to the program you want to help. Then, call the organization directly and ask them, too, or see if the information is on their website. What else does the charity spend money on? Some fundraising can be very expensive, leaving the charity with little money to spend on its programs.

At Asha for Education, we focus on being a volunteer-run charity. Our overheads are typically in the range of 2.5% to 3.5%.  This applies to all  Asha for Education chapters in US, Canada and Europe.

So when you do donate, do not hesitate to ask about over-heads and administrative payments. Your donations should count.