With tighter household budgets and a struggling economy, everybody's looking to get value. You can even see evidence in the restaurant industry. McDonald's, the budget burger bastion, announced a stunning jump in net profit last year, while Starbucks, an upscale coffee chain, has scrambled to cut staff and close locations.

So it's not surprising that families are using the same care with charitable contributions. Not only are donations off sharply everywhere, an alarming trend we've seen across the board in Sanford, too, but donors are looking for the same "bang for the buck" that's driving them to the McCafé.

Which raises the important question: How can you make sure your contributions are going to reputable organizations — and are being used wisely?

Fortunately, we live in a close-knit community, where people are familiar with the churches and service organizations helping neighbors in need. You probably know people who work for some agency or serve on a board, so firsthand information's not too far way.

But if you're not familiar with a charity, there are a few sources to check.

Begin at give.org, home of the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance. The Bureau monitors complaints against charities, just as it does for businesses, and even offers a "Charity Seal Program" for national organizations meeting high standard of accountability. About 250 organizations have earned the seal and are monitored by the Bureau to make sure they continue to comply with the standards.

Another valuable resource is charitywatch.org, run by the American Institute of Philanthropy, a nonprofit watchdog and information service dedicated to making sure contributions are used effectively. The group offers tips for giving wisely, compiles research on charities and grades roughly 500 organizations on their financial performance.

But it's a sad fact that even highly-rated organizations can stumble from time to time. That happened not long ago in the United Way — one of the Better Business Bureau's "Charity Seal" organizations — when scandal hit the chapter in Charlotte. The chief executive was dismissed after news of her $2.1 million supplemental pension and $35,000 annual expense account were made public.

Clearly, both were egregious violations of the public trust and demonstrated the need for what charities call "transparency" — making sure all business is above board and visible to donors and the broader community.

Every organization handles it differently, but here are some steps we take at the United Way of Lee County. To start with, our organization undergoes an annual audit by Ward and Foust CPAs, all board members are listed prominently on our Web site and the organization strictly adheres to the North Carolina Open Meeting Law, making all proceedings open to the public, except in a few rare circumstances where sensitive discussions may be conducted in executive session. Even then, all formal business takes place in an open, public session.

And, when it's time to decide how contributions are spent, the board defers to volunteers from across the community, who work in teams to review funding applications, visit organizations requesting assistance, meet with agency leaders to ask questions and, finally, decide how to distribute the money.

Last year's "allocation teams" were staffed by 22 volunteers, including long-term donors, representatives from local companies and others who agreed to serve. No United Way staff member ever participates on an allocation team, and board members may only evaluate agencies where they have no association at all. The board does have to formally approve all final recommendations.

Our economic climate is a challenge for everyone, and the drop in charitable contributions is never a good thing for our community. But if a bad situation spurs families to look closely at the groups they support — and give wisely — perhaps we'll all be better off in the long run.