Don't Believe Everything You Read About Charities

By Amy E. Feldman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Can you believe that the CEO of UNICEF receives an annual salary of $1.2 million? Yeah, you shouldn't. It's not true.

Now's the time of year when you get inundated with so many charitable solicitations that you realize just how many less fortunate people there are. And now's the time when you get so many emails about which charities to give your dollars to - and which not to - that you should realize how many less informed people there are. Because every year since around 2005, according to Snopes.com, several emails circulate this time of year telling you things like "It's called March of Dimes because it only gets one dime of every dollar you give." Not true. That "UNICEF's efficiency rate is only 14%". Not true. Or that the CEOs of several veterans organizations take zero salary. Also, depending on the organization, not true.

Even when emails purport to "educate" you on not wasting your charitable dollars, educate yourself by NOT relying on that email.

Instead, find out actual statistics on the good causes for less fortunate by going to CharityNavigator.org, Guidestar.org, or the Forbes Magazine survey on the most efficient charities.