COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Before donating to any charity it's important to do your research.

Katie Carrol from the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado (BBB) offers this advice:

* Do take time to check out the charity you are considering giving to. Review the charity's website.

* Find out if the charity is providing direct aid or raising money for other groups. You may want to avoid the middleman and give to a charity that has a presence in the region.

* Find out what stage of relief the charity intends to provide. Are they in the emergency response stage, disaster relief or recovery stage?

* Do be wary of claims that 100 percent of your donation will assist relief victims. All charities have administrative costs.

* Make sure the charity is registered to solicit donations in your state by checking with the Secretary of State's office.

* Watch out for newly created entities that don't have a trace record of the experience to provide disaster relief.

CLICK HERE to find out a charity's BBB rating.