There are lots of fundraising websites but not all of them are equal. So how do you know which ones you can trust?

That’s a much more difficult question than you’d think. Aesthetics alone are not good barometers. In other words just because a site looks good doesn’t mean it’s trustworthy. In fact there is one particular fundraising website that we know well that is run by people we would describe as less than respectable. Their website looks fabulous though. It’s a shame that you can’t necessarily tell a book by its cover.

So here are some things you might look for to determine if you can trust a fundraising website:

1. Are the reviews on the site? If so does it appear like they are legitimate reviews or just content created by the site owner. How can you tell? Read a few reviews and see if they read like the same person wrote them all. We have seen lots of reviews and if they are legit you should find some typos and mispellings along with different writing styles.

2. Is there anything to the site other than a shopping cart? The better fundraising sites offer more information. In fact the best ones offer lots of information including product descriptions and articles about the products. Look for depth. People looking for a fast buck won’t typically spend time on content.

3. Look for unique information. Lots of second tier companies copy a lot of their information from better sites. That’s true not only in fundraising but in all industries.

We like to think of ourselves as one of the top tier websites dedicated to fundraising. We have thousands of topical articles on a wide assortment of fundraising issues. In fact it wasn’t until recently that we changed our model to one that directly offered some fundraising products. You can find the products we offer at the top of the left navigation menu. For years we simply told you about other fundraising websites.

There are a few websites, though, that we will suggest if you don’t find what you are looking for here.

Easy Fundraising Ideas has been around more than 10 years and offers one of the most complete selections of fundraising ideas. Click here to visit their website.

Fast Track Fundraising is another website. The most attractive thing about this company, we feel, is their discount card program. Click here for more info.

Between our site and these others we know you will find the best information available.