Her new book, Making A Difference: Changing the World One Penny and One Minute at a Time, suggests some common-sense criteria in ascertaining the value of any charity group before any money is given. She recommends checking out useful Web sites like the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance (at http://www.give.org), the American Institute of Philanthropy (at http://www.charitywatch.org) which rates a charity on financial performance and fiscal responsibility, and GuideStar (at http://www.guidestar.org), which facilitates access to information about the operations and finances of non-profit organizations.

Among the most important do's and don'ts, Hackett says:

• Never make a donation on the phone or over the Internet, but request a written solicitation that includes the group's registration information within your State of residence, and proof of accountability.

• Where a third-party telemarketer is involved, written follow-up is even more important, along with a contact number for the charity group to ascertain the validity of the telemarketing firm.

• Never provide credit card information over the phone or online, and never donate cash.

• Be particularly wary of any alleged non-profit with a name that closely resembles that of a more established charity. This problem happened widely with both tsunami and Katrina relief efforts.

An important part of Hackett's message addresses our need to realize that millions of American children are hungry; thousands of men, women and children are homeless and living on the street; and more families are living in poverty than at any time in our history.

"To make true change, we must take care of those in our own backyards first," she emphasizes. "Helping others brings much more to your life than you could ever give in dollars alone. There are inexpensive and powerful ways each of us can help, starting with an online search of the various types and names of social service agencies in your community."

Hackett then suggests choosing one or more groups that desperately need every bit of help imaginable. Included are helping seniors living in poverty, reaching out to the homeless, feeding the hungry through soup kitchens, food pantries and sandwich lines, helping at low-income day-care centers and schools; and meeting the special needs of women and children residing in domestic violence shelters.

Here at ZATZ, Managing Editor Denise Amrich recommends looking beyond the established big-brand charities like the American Red Cross. "When disasters hit, the Red Cross is always first with their hand out," she says. "But much of what they take in goes to fueling the reputation and operations of the Red Cross, and not victim aid. I won't say the American Red Cross is evil, but it is big and corporate. There are other legitimate ways to give but it's frustrating not knowing which ones are on the up and up."

Denise recommends reading an article by blogger Richard Walden (at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-walden/how-much-is-too-much_b_6711.html), just to get a bit more perspective on the issue.

Happy holidays to all of our readers. And to all, a good night.

Jessica McCurdy Crooks is a freelance writer/editor, researcher, indexer and information consultant/Librarian. A native of Jamaica, she is a trained librarian/records manager. Today she spends her time consulting on establishing libraries and record management programmes, writes on various topics, focusing on lifestyle issues, health, cooking, travel, and her hobby -- photography.