Giving Tuesday: Protect Your Charitable Donations

MADISON, Wis. – As the holidays approach and the giving season begins, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) have partnered to help consumers protect their money and personal information ahead of Giving Tuesday on December 2, 2025.

“Giving Tuesday celebrates the spirit of charity and reminds us that the holidays are a time for giving back to our communities, important causes, and others in need,” said DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski. “An important part of donating this year is making sure your money goes to the causes and organizations you want to support – not to scammers.”

“During the holidays, donors are more vulnerable to charity scams, especially those with emotional appeals or urgent requests for donations,” said DFI Secretary-designee Wendy K. Baumann. “Scammers will often use phony websites and high-pressure pitches to solicit funds for fake charities in an effort to steal money and personal information. Before giving, use a trustworthy resource to research the organization and verify they are genuinely serving others.”

Donors should take these steps to protect themselves and ensure their donation goes to the cause they want to support:

•  Research before donating. Donors should take time to learn about the organization and verify it is legitimate before giving.
  • Verify the organization is who they claim to be and avoid imposter scammers who send unsolicited texts and emails asking for money.
  • Ask for details. Legitimate charitable organizations can provide their name, address, and phone number, and will explain how much of a donation will be used for the charitable purpose and other costs. They will provide annual reports highlighting success stories and the organization’s actions during the year.
• Resist high pressure tactics. Real charities want donations, but they will not demand immediate payment or unusual payment methods.
  • Avoid donating in response to a phone call or by using payment methods that cannot easily be reversed, like cash, cryptocurrency, banking apps, gift cards, or wire transfers. Use a credit card or write a check directly to the organization – not an individual.
  • Be skeptical if a celebrity or public figure appears in an ad for a charitable organization – it could be an AI-generated image or video that uses the person’s likeness to make a scam charity seem legitimate.
• Use trustworthy resources. Use Give.org or CharityNavigator.org to learn more about a charitable organization. Before consumers give, they can review the DFI’s Donor Resources and Wisconsin Registrant Database webpages at dfi.wi.gov to research charitable organizations.
  • For additional assistance, consumers can use the DFI’s How to Research a Wisconsin Charitable Organization guide, call (608) 267-1711, or email DFICharitableOrgs@dfi.wisconsin.gov.

For more information and consumer protection resources or to file a complaint, visit DATCP’s Consumer Protection webpage at ConsumerProtection.wi.gov or contact the Consumer Protection Hotline at (800) 422-7128 or DATCPHotline@wisconsin.gov.