LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is reissuing her consumer alert on wise charitable giving to remind residents to choose carefully when donating this Giving Tuesday. The alert provides questions that residents should ask any charity before donating their money, time, or belongings. Those questions, which Attorney General Nessel highlights in her charitable giving video, include asking how much of a donation will actually be used for the charity’s purpose and whether the charity is registered to solicit donations by the Michigan Attorney General’s office.

“On Giving Tuesday, many Michiganders generously donate their time and money to charities that do important work in our communities,” Nessel said. “To ensure your donations are used wisely and not lining the pockets of scam artists, consider these simple steps before giving this holiday season.”

Residents can check an organization’s status at the Attorney General’s website or by calling 517-335-7571. Not all organizations are required to register, so many legitimate charities may not appear on the list. However, the organization must have an IRS 501(c)(3) status as a charitable organization for gifts to be tax deductible. The IRS Select Check tool can be used to search for 501(c)(3) organizations.

To file a complaint about a solicitation, consumers may contact the Attorney General’s Charitable Trust Section at:

Department of Attorney General
Charitable Trust Section
P.O. Box 30214
Lansing, MI 48909
517-335-7571
Fax: 517-241-7074
Email