On social media, daily fundraising campaigns circulate, mobilizing people willing to help, sometimes with significant amounts. It could be about saving a sick child, recovering an injured athlete, or supporting a family left homeless.
But how do we know that the money goes where it should? An emotional story, photos, or the fact that the appeal is distributed by a known person do not, in themselves, provide guarantees.
There are a few simple checks we can make before donating. It doesn't take more than a minute and can help us identify any warning signs, say representatives of the European fundraising platform 4fund.com.
Who collects the money and who receives it
The first thing we should check is the organizer's identity. On the campaign page, we should be able to find the full name of the person or the organization collecting donations.
If the funds are raised for someone else, the connection between the organizer and the beneficiary should be explained. It is important for there to be a way to contact the organizer.
Also, be cautious with campaigns promoted by public figures. The fact that an athlete, an artist, or an influencer shares an appeal does not automatically mean that they organize the fundraising or manage the money.
"The first question is: who officially organizes the campaign, who can withdraw the funds, and who is responsible for their use? These roles do not always belong to the same person," explains Paweł Maliszewski, a lawyer and the head of the legal department at 4fund.com.
What the money is requested for
A credible campaign should explain as concretely as possible why help is needed and how donations will be used.
For example, an appeal for the "return to sport" of an injured athlete provides too little information. It is much more useful to know if the money will cover surgery, recovery sessions, treatments, or the purchase of equipment.
It is not mandatory for every campaign to present a detailed budget, but donors should understand how the requested amount was determined.
Also important is what happens after the campaign is launched. Does the organizer post updates? Do they explain how the situation is evolving? Do they announce if the destination of the money changes?
"It's worth checking if the purpose is described concretely, if the costs to be covered from the raised money are specified, and if the organizer presents the campaign's progress and explains any changes in plans," emphasizes Paweł Maliszewski.
What a "verified" campaign actually means
A verification mark displayed on a campaign page can inspire trust. But it is important to know what exactly has been verified. There is a difference between confirming the organizer's identity and verifying the purpose for which donations are collected.
In the first case, the platform establishes who is collecting the money. In the second, it may request documents to confirm the information presented in the campaign.
Therefore, simply verifying the identity does not mean that all the organizer's claims have been confirmed.
In the case of campaigns for medical treatments, the justifying documents do not necessarily have to be public. "In the case of campaigns for medical treatments, the documents confirming the need for treatment can be verified by the platform without the patient's sensitive data being made public," specifies the lawyer.
Where do we end up when we click on the donation link
Another important check concerns the website address where we are about to make the payment. If we received the appeal through a message, an ad, or a post on social media, it is good to check the full domain and make sure it belongs to the platform we intend to donate to.
Sometimes, redirection to an external payment processor is normal. But if the address seems suspicious or we are insistently asked to transfer the money outside the indicated channel on the campaign page, it is wiser to ask for explanations before paying.
One option is to directly visit the platform's website and look for the campaign there, instead of using the received link.
Warning signs that should make us think
Urgency is not necessarily a sign of fraud. There are real situations where money needs to be raised quickly, especially when it comes to treatments or medical interventions. Problems arise when the pressure to donate immediately replaces concrete information.
"Unclear identity of the organizer, lack of information about who will receive the money, contradictory data regarding costs, pressure to pay outside the indicated channel, and lack of answers to specific questions are reasons for additional checks. None of these signals proves, in itself, the existence of abuse," shows Paweł Maliszewski.
If we notice discrepancies, we can ask the organizer for clarification or report to the platform hosting the campaign. It is useful to specify exactly which information raises questions and, if possible, include a link.
So, before donating, it's important to ask ourselves at least four questions:
- who collects the money?
- what are the funds requested for?
- what has been verified?
- where does the payment link lead us?
If the answers are not clear, we can ask for explanations before making the transfer.