Even thought it's not widely publicized, employees of Salvation Armies, American Red Crosses, and other nonprofit agencies across the country have been using funds for their own personal use for numerous years. Many employees also fraudulently use the agency's funds to "donate" to friends and family members. Sadly, these crimes of embezzlement often go undetected for a while. Despite the fact that these dishonest employees do eventually get caught and are severely penalized for their wrongdoings, many individuals are hesitant to donate their hard-earned money to nonprofit agencies for fear of misuse. There is absolutely no reason why you should be afraid to donate to these charities, though, because they need you. Not all charitable organizations and employees are dishonest, and most help thousands every year, especially at Christmastime.

If you wish to give to a charity yet are concerned about funds being abused by employees, you can always help in other ways. One way to help is by donating items from around your house to the Salvation Army thrift stores and similar second-hand stores in your neighborhood. The profits made from the sale of these items helps to fund special programs to aid those in need. Another way that you can help is by simply shopping at thrift stores. You would be surprised at the wonderful and sometimes new items found in second-hand stores. They sell everything from books to clothes to household items, so surely you can find some things that you would be interested in buying in order to help support your local charities.

If you would still like to donate directly to the charities without dealing with the thrift stores, you have the option of providing toys at Christmastime. Numerous locations, including many Wal-Mart stores, have donation boxes available where you can simply drop off new toys. This is a convenient alternative for many people, because they are often shopping at Wal-Mart for other items, then as they are leaving, it's easy for them to drop off the toys of their choice without worrying about driving directly to a separate location. Of course there is always the option of donating food or other items that can be used for Christmas presents. Wrapping paper, baby food and clothes can always be utilized by needy families.

Despite the fact that Salvation Armies and other charity employees may misappropriate funds, it is still a fantastic, personally rewarding deed to give to those less fortunate. As long as your heart is in the right place when you decide to give to those in need, there is no need to worry about what happens to the money after it is donated. It may be comforting for you to know that a great deal of the money goes to needy families as expected, and that if it weren't for your generous gifts of money, toys and/or food that many families would have nothing under the Christmas tree or a nice meal on the table on Christmas Day.