# Is donating to Unicef legitimate?



## ithehappy (Jan 22, 2013)

Recently this popup/ad keeps coming up on the screen and I am sure you guys have seen it already. I was wondering if it's legitimate or not? I mean will the amount go at appropriate place or just another crap and stealing method for different needs? You know what I mean.
*www.donatetounicef.org/?camp=dchildsurjan13appnex

Thanks in advance.


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## pranav0091 (Jan 22, 2013)

The security seal on their page (near the credit card section) doesnt lead back to the security vendor. Could be just bad design, but its suspicious anyway.


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## NoasArcAngel (Jan 22, 2013)

Site check report for donatetounicef.org ()

well it looks alright ..

hostip.info :

Host name: 216.172.169.174
IP address: 216.172.169.174
Location: Tampa, FL, UNITED STATES

hmm website hosted by hostgator.... ...

Extended Validation (EV) 
This SSL Certificate will not display a green address bar in the visitors browser, nor the identity of the website owner or the Certificate Authority. EV SSL Certificates have the highest level of trust and security. 

no EV



ithehappy said:


> Recently this popup/ad keeps coming up on the screen and I am sure you guys have seen it already. I was wondering if it's legitimate or not? I mean will the amount go at appropriate place or just another crap and stealing method for different needs? You know what I mean.
> *www.donatetounicef.org/?camp=dchildsurjan13appnex
> 
> Thanks in advance.




www.unicef.org.in leads to *www.donatetounicef.org/?camp=sparshmar2012

 well its a fake. 

*www.ewhois.com/unicef.org.in/

Created On:07-Mar-2012 05:41:36 UTC
Last Updated On:23-May-2012 07:01:47 UTC
Expiration Date:07-Mar-2013 05:41:36 UT

also check this ... the official donate to unicef : *www.ewhois.com/supportunicefindia.org/

*in.linkedin.com/in/yvats - one of the admins according to whois lookup.


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## ithehappy (Jan 22, 2013)

NoasArcAngel said:


> Site check report for donatetounicef.org ()
> 
> well it looks alright ..
> 
> ...


So this one is fake as well. Good 


NoasArcAngel said:


> also check this ... the official donate to unicef : Supportunicefindia.org - Supportunicefindia - Whois Lookup, Reverse IP Lookup
> 
> Yashasvi Vats (yash@vats.name) LION 1000+ - India | LinkedIn - one of the admins according to whois lookup.


So this one is legit? I get a page like this,


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## tkin (Jan 22, 2013)

This is the real one, took one search in google: *www.supportunicefindia.org/Donation/SupportUSNew.aspx


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## ithehappy (Jan 23, 2013)

Yeah, that's the one. Thanks for confirming.


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## NoasArcAngel (Jan 23, 2013)

ithehappy said:


> So this one is fake as well. Good
> 
> So this one is legit? I get a page like this,



yup as db6mg already pointed out thats the real one. Btw id suggest if you wish to make such transactions, making it in person is always the best. better than that help the needy yourself.


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## desai_amogh (Jan 23, 2013)

besides.. before making any donations to such organisation do check where your money is going..
things like Salaries of Charity CEOs Compared - Urban Legends should matter to you when your putting your hard earned money  for good cause


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## ithehappy (Jan 23, 2013)

NoasArcAngel said:


> yup as db6mg already pointed out thats the real one. Btw id suggest if you wish to make such transactions, making it in person is always the best. better than that help the needy yourself.


I already have been doing this for more than 5 years now. Just 3 institutions I'm connected with, but still. Problem is I can't manage time to be present by myself, that's why I was thinking about online. 


desai_amogh said:


> besides.. before making any donations to such organisation do check where your money is going..
> things like Salaries of Charity CEOs Compared - Urban Legends should matter to you when your putting your hard earned money  for good cause


I'll check what that is. Thanks.


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## mastervk (Jan 23, 2013)

for online donation  "giveindia" is a good option..You can register your account and then select your cause and organization you want to donate to.you can also set up automatic deduction.I am using it since last 5 years..


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## desai_amogh (Jan 23, 2013)

ithehappy said:


> I'll check what that is. Thanks.



 thts just the 1st link which came up in google search.. most of these international organisations have made charity a business.. profits are shared as salaries amounting to millions of dollars...


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## NoasArcAngel (Jan 24, 2013)

there was this joke, for every dollar you donate to unicef, 3 cents goes to charity and 97 cents to the salaries


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## tkin (Jan 24, 2013)

NoasArcAngel said:


> there was this joke, for every dollar you donate to unicef, 3 cents goes to charity and 97 cents to the salaries


And from that link I think its true, f'n cheats.


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## ithehappy (Jan 24, 2013)

tkin said:


> And from that link I think its true, f'n cheats.


From which link, the one I posted in OP?


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## tkin (Jan 24, 2013)

ithehappy said:


> From which link, the one I posted in OP?


No, the one posted by desai_amogh.


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## ithehappy (Jan 25, 2013)

Oh I see.


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## avinandan012 (Jan 25, 2013)

charity is the biggest pure profit business atleast in India.


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## pranav0091 (Jan 25, 2013)

avinandan012 said:


> charity is the biggest pure profit business atleast in India.



+1. Mostly true if not always.

Wanna do charity? Do it yourself, something as small as 10 rupees instead of 1 to an elderly/weak beggar is a good starting point..  (Now, don't accuse me of supporting begging. I know what I am doing and I'll be very pissed if some wannabe samaj-sudharak pulls that argument out of his mouth) In fact I much prefer to do that instead of donating to organisations (never, Simply because I dont know how it'll be used, who is going to benefit out of it or how much of it actually reaches the people-in-need). Or you could send some money to the bank accounts of some poor kid who is suffering from some disease and his parents are unable to fund the treatment. You see such appeals on newspapers on an almost daily basis. They can be fake as well, but I generally make a call to the phone number given and talk a little bit and convince myself of the case (Not very foolproof, but still, I think we can pretty much make out from the voice at the other end...)


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## desai_amogh (Jan 25, 2013)

^ +1

There are 100s of oldage homes or orphanages around every city/states.  instead of donating money (i mean if you really want to make sure ur money is going for a good cause) go check with the autorities what their rquirements are. buy books, clothes, food for them. At best even if you give them sweets on a weekend, etc...


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## ithehappy (Jan 25, 2013)

It's very easy to say, 'do it yourself'. Well to do these things, I need to run a business first, that's what gives me the juice to contribute to some unfortunate people, I hate the term poor, everyone is poor at some point. Besides there is a limitation of 'do it yourself', I mean it's limited to a confined area. That's why I wanted to go online, as I said. If Unicef and those institutions are cheating then obviously that's their problem, but mine :/
Besides, I am already 'doing it myself' as I said.


pranav0091 said:


> +1. Mostly true if not always.
> 
> Wanna do charity? Do it yourself, something as small as 10 rupees instead of 1 to an elderly/weak beggar is a good starting point..  (Now, don't accuse me of supporting begging. I know what I am doing and I'll be very pissed if some wannabe samaj-sudharak pulls that argument out of his mouth) In fact I much prefer to do that instead of donating to organisations (never, Simply because I dont know how it'll be used, who is going to benefit out of it or how much of it actually reaches the people-in-need). Or you could send some money to the bank accounts of some poor kid who is suffering from some disease and his parents are unable to fund the treatment. You see such appeals on newspapers on an almost daily basis. They can be fake as well, but I generally make a call to the phone number given and talk a little bit and convince myself of the case (Not very foolproof, but still, I think we can pretty much make out from the voice at the other end...)


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## pranav0091 (Jan 25, 2013)

^^
I understand your intention buddy, its a very honorable one  
But I'd suggest you to build up your cash reserves rather than making donations on suspicious looking sites. Because the way I see it, its not the donation amount that actually matters, rather its the impact that it has on the lives of the less fortunate. I have come up from a comparatively economically-poor family myself and I know how it feels (or so I think). I was lucky enough to have atleast enough to eat for all the regular meals and a roof over my head, but I also realise that charity is not about the money alone, its more about the impact on the people concerned. I do understand that a lot of us dont have the time to personally make time for charity, but isnt it better to have a person in need to actually benefit from your contribution than some random person using up your well-intentioned/hard-earned donation to buy the latest hot-wheels set to his kids? Just my opinion


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## ithehappy (Jan 25, 2013)

Yeah, you're right, totally.
But what a shame this institutions are, they are cheating with donation money, jeez!


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