How to decide on the best charity to donate to

With so many charities to choose from these days, making a charitable donation can sometimes leave your head in a spin. Every sector of giving has such a wide range of choices that you may become slightly confused as to which one will receive the most benefit from your donation.

Here's a few tips to look out for when making a finical donation to an organisation, and a few things worth looking out for before you take the plunge.

Overheads
All charities need some kind of running cost, otherwise they wouldn't exist! You can usually find out what the operational costs of a charity are, just be having a quick look on their website. Many charities have admin costs of 25% or less, though many new charities have to run at a higher cost as they don't have the loyal set on donators in place at the beginning. A lower admin spend means more of your donation goes towards the cause, though helping a new charity get up and running is really helpful.

Where do they work?It's always worth making sure you know exactly where your money is going, as some people prefer to give to charities that work at home rather than abroad. There's just as many charities working to help people in the UK as there is for those abroad, so make sure you have decided where you'd prefer your money to be spent before you make a donation.

Facts and Figures
A good, well run charity will generally offer an annual report into how your donation is being used. This will offer a breakdown of costs and expenditure across the whole charities performance, offering you an insight into what exactly they are doing to help the people you have make a donation to. This report usually comes with targets for the coming year, so you can see future goals and projects, which you can keep donating towards to help people less fortunate.

Charity Registration
Seems a bit obvious I know, but ALWAYS ensure that the charity you are donation to is registered. There's a lot of sneaky people out there who pray on the generosity of others, and some people will think nothing of setting up a fake charity to reap the financial benefit. Despicable behaviour I know, but it does happen, so please be careful when making a donation.

I hope that these factors come into play when you're making a donation to charity. Always know who you are donating to, what they do, and where the money is spent. This will ensure that you receive the best 'bang for your buck' and help to provide much needed funds to the exact people that you want to help.