"The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving." – Albert Einstein People generally make donations to charity for one of the following reasons.

• Someone they know has asked them to donate
• For tax deduction benefits
• They feel an emotional connection to the cause
• They want to feel like they are making a change
• They want to set a good example and be a role model
• It just makes them feel good

Whatever reason suits you, it's important to donate to charity and give what you can. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="240" caption="Donations (Photo credit: Matthew Burpee)"][/caption]   However, you need to ensure that your funds are going where you want them to go – unfortunately, most Canadians don't. Seventy-two per cent of Canadians believe that there is more charity fraud today than there was 10 years ago. Capital One Canada and CanadaHelps are offering the following charity fraud prevention tips in honour of Fraud Awareness Month.

• Make sure the charity you donate to is registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and provides you with their charitable registration number. CanadaHelps.org lists only charities registered with the CRA.
• Ask to see a charity's financial statements. These should be readily available to anyone who asks, and they will give you a sense of how the charity spends its money.
• Understand the impact the charity has and what difference it makes in the community. Charities should be able to show you the clear outcomes of the programs or services they provide.
• Research the causes you want to support and how much of your budget you want to donate to charity. You will feel less pressured to give when you're solicited if you have already planned your giving for the year.
• Avoid any chairty that pressures you into making a donation or isn't open to sharing more information about their organization.

Capital One Canada will be topping up individual donations made through CanadaHelps by $10, up to a total of $25,000 for Canadian charities. So, should you decide to donate to charity during the month of March, please consider using CanadaHelps. Protect your donations with a little research and a lot of heart. It does make a difference.