Dos and don'ts for Giving Tuesday

Also: Why iRobot stocks took a tumble; FAQs about COP28 [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  November 28, 2023 ⛅ Partly sunny, with a high near 39. Good Morning Boston, Today is Giving Tuesday, a national day to support organizations doing vital work in our communities. I hope you'll consider [making your #GivingTuesday contribution to WBUR](. Your gift will support the free, independent journalism you get from us and make sure it's available for our entire community. So, [please donate](. The money will go especially far today. (Every gift today will be matched by 50%, so $100 turns into $150 for the news.) Let's get to it: - The do's and don'ts of donating: No matter who you give your dollars to today, it's also important to do a little due diligence to make sure your money is going where you intended. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office released guidance this week — along with [a two-page list of dos and don'ts]( — to help Bay Staters "make well-informed decisions when donating and are able to make the most impact with their donations.” Here are the five main things to know: - "Know your charity": That means verifying the charity’s name, address and other contact information before donating — especially if they are the ones reaching out to you. (Here's [our info]( FYI.) - "Find out where your money will go": Campbell's office warns that residents should be wary about statements such as “all proceeds go to charity,” since that might not count fees and administrative expenses. However, you can [look up each charity's financial statements on this public database]( if you want to really dig into how they're spending their money. - "Keep records": Keep your donation receipts (and any canceled checks) in one place. Campbell's office says doing so will be helpful, whether you deduct your donations on your tax returns or in case you have a complaint. - "Don’t feel pressured": You don't have to give today. Campbell's office says legitimate charities will take the time to tell you how they're using your money. - "Don’t pay by cash or debit card": Instead, use credit card or check, especially if donating online. That way, Campbell's office says, you have the ability to stop a payment if you're duped. (Additionally, using a debit card could give scammers the ability to access and withdraw even more money from your account.) - Listen: Personal finance expert Jill Schlesinger [shared some pro-tips to make the most of your giving]( on Here and Now. - [Ya basic]( (income): Don't hold your breath for a guaranteed basic income program in Boston. While neighboring cities like [Chelsea]( and [Cambridge]( have experimented with targeted basic income programs, there were more questions than answers during a Boston City Council hearing yesterday on the city launching its own pilot. City officials signaled they still need to decide how many people would get money, how much the payments would be, how the potentially pricey endeavor would be funded and whether such a program is even worth pursuing. - Go big or go home? Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has expressed some interest in a basic income program, but doesn't want it to be "one more small experiment," as the CommonWealth Beacon [recently reported](. While Boston has an estimated 121,000 people living below the poverty line, guaranteed income programs in neighboring cities have focused on smaller groups (from [2,213 households in Chelsea]( to [52 in Worcester](. "We do not debate at all the merits of a guaranteed income program — full stop on that," Segun Idowu, Wu's chief of economic opportunity and inclusion, said yesterday. However, Idowu cautioned against a pilot that cuts off after a year or two. "We would need to make sure that we have the dollars available to make that program successful and sustainable," he said, adding they'd look to lean on both public and private funding. - Hostage deal hits home: A Needham man says two of his young cousins were among 11 hostages released by Hamas yesterday. Jason Greenberg said 16-year old Sahar and 12-year-old Erez Kalderon are back in Israel with their mother and sister. However, their father, Ofer Kalderon, is still being held captive. - Two of Greenberg's relatives were [already killed near the Gaza border]( during the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas. - What's next: Today is the first day of a 48-hour cease-fire extension in Gaza, as [the two sides exchange more captives](. Israel is reportedly slated to release 50 more Palestinian prisoners today in return for 10 hostages held by Hamas. P.S.— As king tides [submerge the edges of Boston's waterfront]( Gov. Maura Healey is planning to announce a "new strategy" this morning to prepare Massachusetts' coastline for the effects of climate change. You can stream it live at 9 a.m. [here](. The king tides will peak again shortly thereafter today [around 11:24 a.m](. Here's [a look at how high the flooding got yesterday]( at Boston's Long Wharf. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Mother of Palestinian student shot in Vermont thought he would be safer in U.S.]( Elizabeth Price's son Hisham Awartani was one of three men of Palestinian descent shot on Saturday in Vermont. Speaking to NPR from Ramallah, Price fears her son "is confronting a life of disability." [Read more.]( [Mother of Palestinian student shot in Vermont thought he would be safer in U.S.]( Elizabeth Price's son Hisham Awartani was one of three men of Palestinian descent shot on Saturday in Vermont. Speaking to NPR from Ramallah, Price fears her son "is confronting a life of disability." [Read more.]( [EU regulators say Amazon's acquisition of Massachusetts vacuum maker iRobot may harm competition]( European regulators have raised concerns that the buyout of Massachusetts-based iRobot may hinder rivals from effectively competing on Amazon’s marketplace. [Read more.]( [EU regulators say Amazon's acquisition of Massachusetts vacuum maker iRobot may harm competition]( European regulators have raised concerns that the buyout of Massachusetts-based iRobot may hinder rivals from effectively competing on Amazon’s marketplace. [Read more.]( [FAQ: Annual climate negotiations are about to start. Do they matter?]( World leaders, climate experts and oil company executives converge on Dubai later this week to talk about climate change at the United Nations COP28 meeting. Here's what you need to know. [Read more.]( [FAQ: Annual climate negotiations are about to start. Do they matter?]( World leaders, climate experts and oil company executives converge on Dubai later this week to talk about climate change at the United Nations COP28 meeting. Here's what you need to know. [Read more.]( [First lady Jill Biden unveils this year's White House Christmas decorations]( This year's theme is the "magic, wonder and joy" of Christmas time through the lens of children. Throughout the White House grounds are 98 Christmas trees, almost 34,000 ornaments and 72 wreaths. [Read more.]( [First lady Jill Biden unveils this year's White House Christmas decorations]( This year's theme is the "magic, wonder and joy" of Christmas time through the lens of children. Throughout the White House grounds are 98 Christmas trees, almost 34,000 ornaments and 72 wreaths. [Read more.]( [Maine gets $5M to support testing of alternative lobster fishing gear to reduce whale entanglement]( The Maine Department of Marine Resources said the funds will support the research and testing of two kinds of emerging technology — gear that retrieves lobster traps from the ocean floor without the use of vertical lines and acoustic geolocation devices that identify traps without surface buoys. [Read more.]( [Maine gets $5M to support testing of alternative lobster fishing gear to reduce whale entanglement]( The Maine Department of Marine Resources said the funds will support the research and testing of two kinds of emerging technology — gear that retrieves lobster traps from the ocean floor without the use of vertical lines and acoustic geolocation devices that identify traps without surface buoys. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Some members of the philanthropy sector are using this Giving Tuesday to call for a change in how charity is commonly practiced. [In this commentary for Cognoscenti]( local nonprofit leaders Makeeba McCreary and Bob Giannino share three lessons they've learned as they've worked to make the world of philanthropy more equitable. - Springfield-based Merriam-Webster has announced its word of the year for 2023 and it's... "authentic." And for a word that connotes a certain kind of reliability, it turns out that "authentic" [comes with more than one meaning](. - SpeakEasy Stage Company and the Huntington Theatre Company are joining forces in a production of the musical "The Band's Visit," a story about an Egyptian band that becomes stranded in a sleepy Israeli town. While the show boasts an excellent cast, theater critic Jacquinn Sinclair [writes in her review]( that the music is the star of the show. - [A new play opening this week in Western Massachusetts]( tells the story of a man who was abused by a priest when he was a boy — based on the real-life experience of the play's starring actor and co-writer.  What We're Reading 📚 - Everybody Knows Flo From Progressive. Who Is Stephanie Courtney? ([The New York Times]( - Digging into fine print of salary range legislation ([CommonWealth Beacon]( - For some families, the right to shelter isn’t a right at all ([The Boston Globe](  Tell Me Something Good [Bowie the lobster is half-blue, half-red, and all kinds of rare]( Named after pop icon David Bowie, the super-rare, split-color crustacean has clawed its way to internet stardom, after being caught by a fisherman off the coast of Maine. [Read more.]( [Bowie the lobster is half-blue, half-red, and all kinds of rare]( Named after pop icon David Bowie, the super-rare, split-color crustacean has clawed its way to internet stardom, after being caught by a fisherman off the coast of Maine. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common explores [what the criminal justice system does to love](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: I have a lot of questions about [ChatGPT's image of Boston culture taken to the max](. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. 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