How to check out your charity

How to check out your charity: "How to check out your charity
Thursday September 8, 6:00 am ET
Karen Kroll

No doubt about it -- Americans are generous. Seventy to 80 percent of us contribute to at least one charity each year, says the American Association of Fundraising Counsel. Last year, individual giving -- the single largest source of charitable giving -- rose by an estimated 4.1 percent to $187.92 billion, according to 'Giving USA,' an annual publication of the AAFC.

However, if you've ever found it difficult to figure out exactly how the organizations that solicit support are using your funds, you're not alone. Seventy percent of the people surveyed by the Council of Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance said it was hard to know if a charity is legitimate and operates ethically."