We made it through Thanksgiving and are chugging along on Black Friday and up next are Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday.
With Giving Tuesday on the horizon, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette joined the Michigan Nonprofit Association, Council of Michigan Foundations and Michigan Association of United Ways earlier this week to announce the release of the annual Giving Wisely brochure, a resource to help Michigan donors make wise charitable gifts in this holiday season.
On Wednesday, Schuette said, “As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, many of us are thinking about what we are grateful for and what we can do to help others this holiday season.” He added, “Many residents choose the holiday season to give to charity and that is why we publish Giving Wisely each year. It is a way to give donors peace of mind and ensures that their donations reach worthwhile organizations.”
Charitable giving traditionally increases during the holiday season and many charities begin their end of the year fundraising appeals. Giving Wisely is a free handout that provides timely and critical advice to anyone considering a donation. The resource offers information on how Michigan citizens can protect their personal and financial information and donate safely online. It also cautions citizens to be wary of aggressive or misleading fundraising phone calls.
Giving Wisely reminds citizens to choose carefully which charities to support financially and encourages donating time and talents to charity. The Giving Wisely handout is available for download and can be read on the Attorney General’s website. I’ve created a direct link to it below for your convenience.
Since taking office in 2011, Schuette’s Charitable Trust Section has combated charity fraud and helped to educate Michigan families and businesses to make the most of their generous donations.
Over the last two years, Attorney General Schuette’s Charitable Trust Section has ramped-up its enforcement of Michigan’s law prohibiting deceptive charitable solicitations.
Before you write a check, you should feel free to call the Attorney General’s Charitable Trust Section at 517-373-1152 to inquire about a charity. You can also search for registered charities or learn more on the Attorney General’s website.
Here’s the link to Giving Wisely:
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/ag/Giving_Wisely_11_2017_606541_7.pdf
