TWO REGULATORS – the Charity Commission and the Fundraising Regulator – have joined forces to warn donors to check up very carefully on the organisations they are giving Zakat donations to during Ramadan.
The regulators quoted the Muslim Charities Forum estimate that Muslims donated approximately £130 million to charity during Ramadan 2018. The regulators and Forum are working together to ensure that Muslims can be sure their donations are going to bona fide charities. The regulators issue similar warnings at other times of year when high levels of donations are made, such as Christmas or when there is a one-off crisis.
The regulators’ top tips for ensuring you are donating to a genuine charity are:
The published accounts of some well known bodies show there is cause for concern over how much of the funds raised are being spent on good causes – with some charities spending a large percentage of their income on staff costs and overheads. You can look up the accounts of the charity you have in mind on the Charity Commission’s website and see how much of your money will make it through to helping people in need.
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