Donating to local emergency workers

[radhak]

LOML has to field a lot of calls that claim to represent the local emergency folks. I am okay donating a $20 to anybody genuine, but have a great antipathy to being ripped off.

So how do I know which is good? The list I have on hand is :

a. Broward County Council of Professional Fire Fighters.
Not tax deductible; did not provide website, but googled this : http://www.bccpff.org/index.cfm?Section=1&PageNum=1

But, the letter's address and phone numbers don't match.

b. FL Highway Patrol Command Officers Association.
Not tax deductible; googled this website : http://www.fhpcoa.org/index.htm
Found a page there which has the same phone number as in their letter.

c. Florida State Fraternal Order of Police.
Not tax-deductible, website : http://www.floridastatefop.org/fop_home.asp
The address on the letter is nowhere on the website; they don't have a contact us page.

d. Florida fire & Emergency services foundation.
Is Tax deductible. http://www.ffca.org/index.cfm
But the address on the letter does not match.

Any way I can separate the wheat from the chaff? Shouldn't there be a local number I call and donate money to the police / FD?

[shoottx]

One of the first clues in a solicitation call is if the caller is a professional solicitor. In many cases the professional solicitors keep up to 80% of the donation.

If I am donating to any of the police and fire benevolent associations it is through some one I know involved in the organization or directly to the organization. I ask all of the other callers to take me off of the call list.

[LCHIEN]

i have found that most of these people calling are not the emergency guys themselves but professional guys who sign them up to solicit on their behalf for a significant cut (either a percentage or less expenses for salaries and overhead). From the standpoint of the beneficiary its money they didn't have otherwise but for you, most of your money goes to the collectors.

So I don't give to anyone who calls on the phone - it's likely not to be an efficient way to give even if some money gets to the end beneficiary and it just encourages more to do the same. I give to united way and Red cross. UW allows earmarking of funds if you so desire, and these outfits have high ratios of money to the end beneficiary compared to overhead.

As Mike says, ask them to take you off the list, too.

[Sam Conder]

LOML has to field a lot of calls that claim to represent the local emergency folks. I am okay donating a $20 to anybody genuine, but have a great antipathy to being ripped off.

So how do I know which is good? The list I have on hand is :

a. Broward County Council of Professional Fire Fighters.
Not tax deductible; did not provide website, but googled this : http://www.bccpff.org/index.cfm?Section=1&PageNum=1

But, the letter's address and phone numbers don't match.

b. FL Highway Patrol Command Officers Association.
Not tax deductible; googled this website : http://www.fhpcoa.org/index.htm
Found a page there which has the same phone number as in their letter.

c. Florida State Fraternal Order of Police.
Not tax-deductible, website : http://www.floridastatefop.org/fop_home.asp
The address on the letter is nowhere on the website; they don't have a contact us page.

d. Florida fire & Emergency services foundation.
Is Tax deductible. http://www.ffca.org/index.cfm
But the address on the letter does not match.

Any way I can separate the wheat from the chaff? Shouldn't there be a local number I call and donate money to the police / FD?

As an aside, contributions to most if not all FOPs, etc will not be tax deductible. Only contributions to charitable not-for-profits is tax deductible. Most civic groups (bicycling clubs, ski clubs, neighborhood associations, etc.) are legally registered not-for-profits but they are not charitable.