You don't need to be rich to give to charity. You don't even need to be middle class. In fact, in the United States today it's the poor, not the wealthy, who give the highest percentage of their income to those in need.

According to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, those making less than $50,000 a year donate about 4% of their income to charity, while those earning more than $100,000 gave just 2%.

But the amount you give won't matter unless you make sure your money gets to the right place. There are plenty of bogus charities out there, as well as many legitimate but wasteful or ineffective ones. It's worth doing a little research to make sure your hard-earned dollars are put to good use.

Don't grab your checkbook as soon as you get that call requesting money for the local dog pound. A cold call should prompt you to proceed cautiously--there's always the chance you'll give money to an organization that isn't a charity at all, or to one that uses much of what it collects to pay professional fundraisers. (That's right, the pleasant voice on the phone may have belonged to a pro, not a dedicated volunteer.)

A legitimate charity should have a working phone number and mailing address. Take a few minutes to call up a charity before donating. Make sure you get a live person on the phone and then ask some basic questions about the charity's purpose. "A donor should feel comfortable in asking the charity to define their short-term and long-term goals," says Matthew Viola, a senior program analyst for Charity Navigator, a free Web site based out of Mahwah, N.J., that analyzes and evaluates over 5,000 charities in the United States.

The organization you're eyeing should be upfront about how donated money is spent. Find out what percentage of your dollar goes towards the actual charitable services it provides, vs. the amount spent on costs like administration or fundraising. "Some for-profit fundraisers who call on behalf of charities may keep anywhere from 25 to 95 cents of every dollar they collect," Viola notes.

Once you've settled on a charity, how much should you give? There's no one right answer. But if you believe in a cause, you don't have to limit your giving to the dollars you can spare right now. Consider getting into the charitable habit by making small regular donations throughout the year, just as you make regular contributions to your 401(k) or other saving accounts.

There are ways to give to a charity without using your own money. If you're getting married, for example, you might want to consider suggesting guests make a donation in your name, rather than buying you that nth setting of silverware from Macy's. The Web site JustGive.org charges users nothing to create an online, philanthropic bridal registry that lets guests choose from a list of charities favored by the couple.

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