In a December mood?

Feeling generous?

Wallet empty?

Not a problem, says Bill Moak, president of the Better Business Bureau of Mississippi.

Give time.

“The personal rewards for volunteering, especially during the holiday season, can be as important to charities as a cash contribution,” Moak said.

Charlie Mitchell is executive editor of The Vicksburg Post. Write to him at Box 821668, Vicksburg, MS 39182, or e-mail.

And he’s right. There are very few service groups that couldn’t use a hand, especially from someone who has a bit of expertise — carpentry, plumbing, computer trouble-shooting, bookkeeping, floor mopping.

If nothing else, buy or bake some cookies and take them to the office of an organization you think is doing good work in your community. You spend $5 and the staff gets something invaluable — a vote of encouragement.

Mississippians are the most philanthropic people in America. We’ve been told that for years. The ranking is based on giving as a percentage of income reported to the Internal Revenue Service. The fact we are a state with a lot of low-income people and a lot of church-going tithers provides part of the explanation. But not all of it. People in this state will really rally.

I saw what individuals, formal and informal organizations and nongovernment agencies did in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Dozens of groups fed thousands of people for weeks.

I watched in a suburban Baghdad community center as paralyzed teens accepted — from a Mississippi church — the first wheelchairs they’d ever had.

It’s impressive how neighborly Mississippians can be.

Others have noticed, too, and, sadly, the world of charities has become infested with predators.

There are groups and individuals who make fortunes by using deception to gain the compassion of others.

Christmas is their feeding season.

So how do you tell if a donation will actually do what you want it to do?

A first step could be called the “name test.” It works almost as well as a mathematical formula. Here it is: The more emotion-packed words in the organization’s name, the more likely the organization is not a charity at all. Hence, if the mailman brings you a solicitation from the “Society to Provide Kittens to the Blind Babies of Deaf Veterans,” a questioning eyebrow should go up. There are plenty of legitimate charities that really aid animals, vision-impaired children and really assist veterans. But there are also plenty of con artists whose only priority is separating you from your money. The harder they pluck your heartstrings, the more likely they can get a check.

Another term bogus groups like to employ is “law enforcement” or “first responders.” Every honest person is grateful for law enforcement and knows first responders save lives. So it follows that scammers are not shy about tapping into that gratitude. In turn, they do very little, if anything, to actually support law enforcement or first responders.

The second step is using a tool — an invaluable tool — the Mississippi Legislature has made available to the public through the Secretary of State’s Office (www.sos.state.ms.us) for several years.

An annual report on all charities registered to ask for money from Mississippians (and registration is required) is available online in full and searchable formats. Most public libraries have printed versions.

When contacted and asked to give money, a citizen can check the registry before donating.

If the charity isn’t listed, it’s operating illegally.

If a charity is listed, don’t expect the state to try to tell you whether it’s on the level. It’s a free country. Anyone can ask for money.

What the annual reports do show is how much money a group raised in the most recent year, the cost of raising the money, the cost of administrative staff and the amount actually spent for the stated purpose.

It does cost money to raise money, so it would be wrong to hold all staff salaries or fundraising expenses against a charity.

If, however, a report shows a charity spent 75 cents or more of every donated dollar on overhead — and a surprising number do — wary donors might choose to give their checks to organizations that minimize their internal costs to maximize their effect.

Back to a BBB idea. Moak says, and it’s true, that charities are limited by the tax code on how much, if any, lobbying they can do. Volunteers, however, can be their advocates and write letters on their behalf.

If people have money to give, the best advice is to give it close to home to known, trusted individuals and organizations. Any group soliciting a gift by mail, telephone or otherwise should be checked out. The state makes it pretty easy to do.

And remember money, as BBB says, is not the only thing that has value. Time does, too. As do words and actions showing support.