Here is a helpful rule of thumb for donating to charities this holiday season: Take your time.
People waste billions of dollars on inefficient, poorly run or downright fraudulent charities because they do not bother to research where their money is going.
And even donations to legitimate causes can be squandered by last-minute, impulsive or scattershot giving, said Daniel Borochoff, president and founder of nonprofit watchdog Charity Watch (www.charitywatch.org/).
In my latest for Reuters, why you should carefully consider your holiday donations.