Charity Commission issues donation warning

The Charity Commission has urged people making donations during this Ramadan to make background checks before giving money to a charity.

The Commission has released a list of 'Top ten tips' to donate safely, and a 30 second video to remind donors of the risks posed by fraudulent fund raisers.

As civil unrest has increased in the Middle East over the past 18 months, many charities have become embroiled in accusations of directly funding groups with objectionable motives.

The director of policy and communications for the Commission, Sarah Atkinson, commented: 'Ramadan is very much a time for giving, but unfortunately there are individuals prepared to exploit this.

'We want to ensure that the generous donations made by people from Muslim communities end up supporting the deserving causes for which they were intended'.

Ramadan is time of giving and charity for Muslim communities across the world. However research conducted by the commission has revealed that only 20 per cent of UK donors make checks before giving.

Dr Hany El-Banna, chairman of the Muslim Charities Forum, endorsed the Commissions campaign and encouraged greater alertness.

He commented: 'I would encourage people to share the commission's video and follow their safer giving advice to ensure that donations go to the right place'

Sarah Atkinson added: 'The commission is committed to ensuring that trust and confidence in charities remains high, so we would encourage the public to follow our simple tips before making donations'.

Binyamin Ali is assistant editor of Private Client Adviser