There are over 11,500 registered charities in Ireland – with 663 of them in Galway alone – but there are other causes that are not registered, and they therefore cannot actually claim to be charities.

That’s the warning from Charities Regulator Chief Executive, Madeleine Delaney, as she encouraged people to check the national register of charities before they donate to make sure they are giving to a registered charity this Christmas.

A full list of Ireland’s registered charities is available at checkacharity.ie.

It contains a record of every charity with information about their finances and activities, showcasing the work of individual charities and their contribution to society.

This helps people to make an informed decision about organisations they may wish to support.

Speaking about the importance of checking the charities’ register before donating, Chief Executive, Madeleine Delaney acknowledged that Irish people are known to be incredibly generous – but, she said, public trust and confidence in charities is critical to sustaining this support.

“We encourage people – both the public and businesses – to check the register so they can be confident that their donation is being put to good use,” she said.

“There you will find information on the work carried out by your preferred charity from the annual reports submitted to the Charities Regulator.

“Our research also shows that more than half of adults surveyed believed that any good cause could be classified as a charity. However, charities are just one type of not-for-profit organisation. The main distinguishing feature of a charity is that it must provide a public benefit.

“We have information on our website that explains the type of organisations that can apply to be registered as a charity, and anyone can check that a charity is registered by visiting checkacharity.ie,” she added.

Pictured: Madeleine Delaney.