Newsviews: Charity donation (1)

CHICAGO (WLS) -- This is the season of giving. In addition to family and friends, many of us will be giving to charities.

According to the Giving USA Foundation, Americans donated more than $358 billion to charity last year. That was a record amount, up 7.1 percent from the previous year.

But there are some things to consider before making a donation so you can feel comfortable that your money is actually doing good. That includes how much the charity spends raising that cash and how much of every dollar you donate actually goes to the charity's programs.