This question becomes more and more relevant, as a growing number of organizations compete for donations. Most are sound, legitimate, and completely aboveboard. Others, however, that may sound like the real thing are fraudulent, and their business practices can be unethical.

Also, this time of year brings "look-alike" and "sound-alike" charity organizations that prey on unsuspecting holiday gift givers. According to the National Charities Information Bureau (NCIB), almost half of all charitable donations are given during the last two months of each year.

Legitimate organizations generally use widely accepted, standard fundraising practices, while others will try a multitude of scams to separate you from your money. In one recent scam, collect calls were made to individuals. If they accepted the calls, they heard a recording saying they had just donated $8 to a missing children?s charity.

Another hoax uses a chain letter claiming the American Cancer Society (ACS) will donate three cents to cancer research for every letter forwarded to someone else. The ACS has no connection to the letter and regrets people are fooled into thinking they are helping the organization by perpetuating this e-mail message.

Experts advise you to look closely at the business practices of charities. Closer scrutiny may reveal that an organization established ostensibly to bring in donations for a charitable cause, spends the bulk of money not on that cause, but on salaries and administrative costs. It?s important to know what to watch out for.