In the News
Making Charitable may now be easier on one of your favorite video platforms. In YouTube May Soon Let You Donate Directly to Fundraisers, Shannon Liao from The Verge discusses new tools called YouTube Giving that will allow users and contributors to organize, facilitate, and make contributions to fundraisers. Liao explains that many YouTube contributors already utilize fundraising campaigns, but through external sites.
Our Take
Participating in fundraisers and giving back financially is an act of kindness that makes everyone feel good inside. With the advancements of technology and social/streaming platforms, online donations have increased in popularity. While it is easy to assume that all online fundraisers are created with good intentions, many so-called fundraisers are fraudulent and do not send your contribution to the intended benefactor. Understanding the risks of putting your financial information into a fundraiser that may not be legitimate is vital. Additionally, millions of people use YouTube and thousands of them may create fundraising campaigns for various causes. It is important to do your research on the individual hosting the fundraiser as well as the charitable organization itself to make sure that your money is safe and so is your personal information when making a contribution.
Recommendations
How can you ensure that your online donations and payments are secure?
- Research any organizations or fundraisers before making an online donating to ensure that they are legitimate
- Avoid clicking directly on imbedded links—instead search for it in a separate browser
- Track your finances closely to watch out for suspicious activity, reporting such activity to your financial institution
- Stay up to date about recent news concerning fraudulent fundraising scams.