Fraud Alert!

Following the 2005 devastation of the American Gulf Coast, the FBI estimates around 4,000 websites sprang up to misdirect genuine signs of charity into the bank accounts of shameless scammers. At least 60% of these were hosted on foreign servers, a move which generally sends up warning signs to anyone scanning for legitimacy. Some of the more egregious offences solicited donations from the well-intentioned posing as the Red Cross and other real charities doing real work — a sneaky strategy that worked before and, unfortunately, continued to do so.

Recommendations:

• Don’t make a charitable donation impulsively.
• Don’t give over the phone and to do preliminary research instead. Doing this, you avoid the middleman by giving directly to the charity. This will also ensure that no telemarketing firm will take a percentage of your donation before sending it on the organization of your choice.
• A predominance of overseas websites collected may be fraudulent (FBI).
• Always go to the official website of an organization to donate.
• Match giving with your interests (even with disaster giving).
• Check out an organization’s website for situation reports (the timing and thoroughness will tell you quite a bit about an organization).

The Law

Any individual can give money to any person or any organization.

When the donor desires a tax deduction for that gift, that is when the law comes into play.

To receive a tax deduction (which means you have to itemize your deductions on your taxes) you must give to an IRS designated 501(c)(3) organization or its equivalent.

Organizations must apply for articles of incorporation from the State and for tax-deductibility status (501(c)(3)) from the IRS. (After a disaster this process is usually fast-tracked.)

Organizations are required to use your gift as they said they would when you gave. (This means gifts for Katrina relief cannot be spent on another disaster or internal expenses.)

Because giving is located in the tax code that defines charity, giving must be for a charitable purpose. (While loosely defined, the American Red Cross encountered issues post 9/11.) Gifts must be irrevocable in order to receive a tax-deduction.

Take the Lead

Take The Lead provides direct services, support and care for people in the sport of purebred dogs who suffer the devastation of life-threatening or terminal illness. The fund was extended to assist people in the world of dogs who lived in federally designated disaster areas and suffered loss as a direct result of disaster. Click on the logo for more information.

The AKC CAR Canine Support and Relief Fund

The AKC CAR Canine Support and Relief Fund has been established as a permanent charitable fund with the goals of providing resources, support, funds, and other assistance to:

• Not-for-profit Canine Search and Rescue organizations.
• The not-for-profit veterinary units providing support to the canine rescue teams
• Not-for-profit animal shelters and similar not-for-profit organizations providing care for domestic animals orphaned or displaced as a result of natural or civil disasters.

Please note that funds may be requested or granted to support Search and Rescue Dog organizations in relation to past or current crises, disasters, and/or actual Canine Search and Rescue missions.

The genesis of this fund was the emergency relief fund established by AKC and AKC CAR, which ultimately raised and distributed over $250,000 to organizations in the above three categories, as a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

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