It's Christmas card time!

That time is here again - time to think about sending out warm wishes and spreading festive cheer. Charity Christmas card purchases are an excellent way to support charities this festive season but please ensure you shop wisely and are clear on how much of your money is being passed on to the cause you are supporting. Some retailers donate less than 10% of the sale price of their cards, others up to 25%. So this year when you make your purchase ask yourself- do I know how much the charity will receive?

All cards should make it clear how much of the purchase price is being passed on and if this merely states a percentage of the profit – avoid!  There are far better options out there. Lack of transparency here is the main concern as there is no way to determine how much profit is in a pack of cards and therefore no way of working out how much is being donated. Sometimes this can be as little as 5p per pack.

"This Christmas make an extra special effort to check the donation amount attached to the charity cards you buy."

Of course the best way to ensure that the maximum donation goes to the charity of your choice is to buy  cards direct from the Charity or from one of its established local charity shops. Although keep in mind, even in cases where a multi pack states  that 100% of the purchase price goes to the charity, in many cases, out of that price the charity may still have to pay for the cost of producing the cards as well as any associated costs. Not necessarily will all of the money go to the cause the charity was set up to serve. So for those wanting to donate to a cause it can be very difficult to know how much you are actually giving and because of this some may feel that cards are not the best way to donate to charity. What we must not forget however is that charity greeting cards can be an excellent way to help raise awareness which in itself can be of great value.

If you are looking to send out Charity Christmas cards this year, either as a way of raising awareness or as part of your charitable giving, and you want a transparent purchasing experience, why not think about using makingadifference.cards where you take control and determine how much gets donated to your cause. Bringing back transparency and accountability to the charity card market.

Making A Difference Cards is registered with the Fundraising Regulator.