It is surprisingly easy to research a forward. A search using your favorite search engine will bring up many sites where the forward is posted or discussed. Hoax debunking sites also have a search box for typing in keywords seen in the forward. It probably shouldn't be the actual subject line being keyed in, since the same chain letter can often have different subject lines. However, if you received a chain letter that tells you the American Cancer Society will give three cents per email to help a sick kid, you can go to a site like Snopes.com TruthOrFiction.com BreakTheChain.org and key into their search box "Cancer" or even "American Cancer Society" and submit your query.

This should bring up the pages which will debunk that hoax. And absolutely any forward that tells you some organization will give x cents per tracked email to help a dying kid, is a hoax. There's no such email tracker, and no charitable organization depends on chain letters to help save, find, or cure anyone. This goes double for chain letters that attempt to guilt and shame you into passing them along.