Advice on making the most of charitable donations

For many, the holiday season is a time to give not only to friends and family, but also to those in need.

Consumer Reports says 40 percent of charitable contributions are made in the last few weeks of the year.

These days your mailbox is probably stuffed with solicitations from charities. Be aware because Consumer Reports has found some charities spend very little on the causes they promote.

"For instance, in its latest yearly IRS filings, the Cancer Survivors' Fund in Texas reported that it spent just $0.08 of every dollar on its programs. $0.89 went to fundraising," said Anthony Giorgianni with Consumer Reports.

Another increasingly common way to give is buying from companies that donate part of the sales to charity. However, with this, the company gets the tax deduction, not you.

"You really have to be careful with impulse giving. It can be hard to determine how much money from the sales actually will go to the charity," Giorgianni said.

In a line of charity ornaments at Macy's, nearly all do not specify which charity will benefit nor how much of the money will be donated. Only one, the pink Santa, says where the money goes and how much.

"Some of your favorite charities might not be rated on these national sites because they're too small or too local. That doesn't mean you shouldn't give to them. You just should do more research," Giorgianni said.

First step: Check out the charity's website to see its mission and accomplishments, and consider volunteering first. It's a great way to ask questions and get to know the charity from the inside.

Another way to go is to give through a nonprofit fundraising federation, such as United Way, that checks out the charities it represents before allowing them to participate.