Charities

How do I know if a charity is legitimate?   What percentage of charitable contributions are used for the charitable purpose?

A charitable organization who is soliciting charitable contributions is required to be registered with the Utah Division of Consumer Protection.  The Division provides a list of Registered Charities on this website.  The information provided on this list includes the percentage of contributions reported to be used in charitable purposes.

Another way to know if a charity is legitimate is to check their reputation.  Complaints received by the Division of Consumer Protection are protected under the Utah Governmental Records Access Management Act (GRAMA).  However, the Division may disclose public records— specifically, actions taken by the Division against a charitable organization.  If you would like to know if the Division has taken action against a charity, please contact us and we will be happy to provide what information we can.

Because the Division cannot verify if complaints have been received, we encourage you to check with other organizations that might have information that could be helpful to you, including other government agencies that may have jurisdiction over the charity.  Also, the Better Business Bureau is a good resource for consumers to research the kind of reputation a charity may have in a local community.  You may also want to check to see if the charity has a local business license with the city or county in which they are located.

Click here for more information about charities and contributing wisely.