George Skelton: Look before you leap when it comes to holiday charitable donations

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — This is the season for giving to charities — and maybe throwing your money away.

Let's assume that most charities are good. They're sincere, effective and legitimate. But too many are inefficient, self-serving or even fake.

Too often, donors are filling the pockets of professional fundraisers rather than helping the needy or a worthy cause. The donation becomes a lump of coal.

"We try to assure that charitable money goes to help people instead of being misdirected to noncharitable purposes — like into the personal bank accounts of board