5 questions to ask before you donate to NGOs in India

MANY of us want to donate to NGOs in India and support causes close to our hearts, but don’t know where to begin. From finding a genuine nonprofit organization to determining whether online giving is safe, there are several questions in our minds. Give, as India’s most trusted giving platform, is aware of these questions and acknowledges that donors only have limited time and energy to find and donate to NGOs in India. As there are several fundraising platforms in India, it is also important that you know that you are choosing the best crowdfunding website.

In fact, one of Give’s founding objectives is to make online giving quick, easy, and convenient. Hence, we have made a complete charity checklist to help you. Here are five donation tips that will ensure you donate to NGOs in India that are really working on the ground and benefit the beneficiaries that you have in mind.

1. Is it a reliable, genuine and good NGO?

Many NGOs are legitimate, working diligently, and using donated funds honestly. However, there are exceptions and it is often not possible to tell whether an NGO is reliable or not from its online presence. Furthermore, it is not the time or cost-effective for a donor to physically determine if the charity they are donating to is a good one.

Give is committed to resolving this problem. To bridge the trust gap between donors and nonprofits, all NGOs listed on our platform undergo a thorough due diligence process before being profiled. They are routinely reviewed too. Information about their operations and outcomes is easily accessible, and donors are encouraged to view it. You can read more about GiveAssured, Give’s promise to honour your trust here, and can look at some frequently asked questions about how NGOs are vetted here. Start supporting a child’s education today, through one of our trusted NGO partners. So when you plan to donate to NGOs in India, you are sure that they are reliable.

2. How urgent are the charity’s needs?

Although all charities do important, essential work in their respective sectors, every NGO is not equally well known. Large and established organizations tend to have greater access to donors and are consequently better funded. Hence, when you donate to NGOs in India, it can be useful to ask: does this organization require funds right now? If so, how urgent are their needs? 

Give provides answers to these questions. Charities are clearly labelled with tags like “Under Funded” or “Extreme Need” to identify especially needy charities and beneficiaries. Such labels are explained in careful detail too. Under-funded programmes are those that are doing great work, but are struggling to continue to help people as they are not receiving the monetary support they need.  Those in extreme need are usually socially excluded and lack necessities for reasons such as living in underserved areas or social stigma. 

Thus, even once you have identified a genuine and good NGO to donate to, it can be helpful to ask if your donation will have the greatest impact. Through Give, you can easily donate to a charity that urgently requires your help!

3. Who is your donation benefitting?

When you donate to a charity, it is important to understand who benefits from your donation. Although it is easy to assume that the beneficiaries of your donation are the people you hope to help, this may not always be the case. For example, if the NGO is large and runs multiple projects, it may be important to ensure you are donating to the particular project you want to support. If you are donating through a third-party platform, it may be necessary to ask how much of your donation is retained by them. 

Give recognises that donors want to create the greatest positive impact when they donate to NGOs in India. Hence, information about projects, beneficiaries, and how the donation is distributed is easily available. Every listed campaign provides specific details about the programme and its beneficiaries. Give ensures that 90% of your contribution reaches your chosen NGO by keeping fundraising costs at a maximum of 10%. 

Donations are sent to the nonprofit organizations once a month with a transaction-wise report. This helps them understand the purpose of each donation, and allows them to plan their spending accordingly. This forms the basis of the nonprofit’s report with updates on the programme, which is then shared with the donor. You can learn more about Give and the donation process here.

4. Are the charity’s payment methods safe?

Online giving is incredibly convenient. It negates the distance between donors, and charities, allowing the former to support causes they are passionate about regardless of where they may be situated. 

However, making an online donation is accompanied by payment security challenges. Unsafe payment methods have the potential to cause losses to donors and can deprive charities and beneficiaries of much-needed funds. 

Give takes these concerns very seriously, maintaining transparency and accountability about the measures in place to ensure the safety of donors’ data. Give protects the information donors provide when they donate to NGOs in India by enforcing very high standards on credit card security. Give does not store any payment information on its servers either. Through Give, online giving is convenient and safe. Now you can safely donate to NGOs in India!

5. Are there any tax benefits of your donation to NGOs?

Making charitable donations is inherently selfless, but it can benefit donors as well. Giving has been proven to make donors happier, and can also provide monetary benefits to them through tax exemptions.

If you are an Indian taxpayer, donations to Give are eligible for 50% tax exemption under Section 80(G). If you are a taxpayer in the US, you can avail of the tax exemption for donations made through 501(c)(3). As a taxpayer in the UK, your donation is eligible for Gift Aid. Let’s save you some tax while doing good for someone in need! Support a girl’s education by donating just $8.15 each month.

Use these charity donation tips the next time you plan to donate and ensure your donation benefits those who need it the most! Plus, since Give checks every box on the checklist, you can start your giving journey with us. Donate through India’s most trusted giving platform today, and transform the lives of people in need of support. 

(This article was updated in December 2022)

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Established in 2000, Give is the largest and most trusted giving platform in India. Our community of 2.6M+ donors have supported 3000+ nonprofits, impacting 15M+ lives across India.