By: Kori Rodley Irons
October 19, 2006

Open your mailbox this time of year and you’re likely to find a stack of appeals from various charities and causes asking for donations. Starting with United Way agencies who normally conduct their campaigns in the Fall, through until the end of December, many nonprofits and charitable organizations do a big fundraising push during the holiday season. So, how can you decide who to give your hard-earned money too and how best to assuage your philanthropic spirit this time of year? Here are some suggestions for evaluating causes and making the most of your donations.
 
Just because you’ve always given to a particular cause or agency, doesn’t mean you have to continue. It is very common for people to take on new philanthropic causes or to shift allegiance over time. Believe it or not, guilt is not a good reason to give. You should give to organizations and agencies with whom you share a commitment to the cause. Many people get roped into thinking you should always give to children’s charities or organizations who provide services for the homeless, when they may be truly passionate about something else, like environmental issues. Give where your heart is and you will experience the joy that comes with sharing what you can.

Try to ignore the flashy mailings, free stickers and return address labels and other distractions. Large national organizations may have the budget to put together very impressive mailings, while smaller local organizations who are doing good work right in your own neighborhood may not even be able to send out a letter. I’m not saying those national organizations don’t need your money (and there are practical reasons to give to established agencies with strong track records), but try not to overlook the little guys right in your own neck of the woods. If you can look through the marketing materials to extract the cause in the appeal, you’ll be able to decide if it is one you want to support.

Consider giving over time. Many organizations and agencies - especially smaller ones - do their fundraising appeals once or twice a year to try to reach people at the time of year they are conditioned to give. While a large gift of $50 or $100 during the holiday season is wonderful and welcome, if you can give $10 a month for an entire year, you’ll be able to make a bigger donation and know that you are helping to sustain an organization. As someone who spent nearly twenty years working as a fundraising officer for various organizations, I can tell you that the monthly donors where few and far between and we knew them very well! A friend of mine chooses a different charity every year and gives $20 a month. Each month she thinks about the agency and its cause and feels connected in a more intense way than if she only gave one gift at the busiest time of year.

Consider the reputation of the organization. While there are places you can go to find out the financial details of a charitable organization (www.guidestar.com is a good one), most of us don’t have the time to do that sort of research. You will, however, pick up on the reputation of an organization if it is operating in your own town. If you have read good things about their work in the newspaper, know of actual people who have been helped or garnered services from them, or have seen the effects the organization has on your community, these are all good things to consider when making a gift. If you have been reading about lacking board oversight or concerns about financial mismanagement, you might want to give your donation elsewhere until things at the organization have improved. On the same note, you might be someone who wants to know how the money is being spent. For many charitable organizations, the truth is that most of the money goes to pay the salaries for staff members who provide the services. For some reason, donors don’t want to know this and think that everyone who works with nonprofits or charities should go unpaid. If you want your donation to go directly to services or those in need, consider making an inkind donation of food, blankets, etc. or give to an all-volunteer-run cause. Otherwise, you should know that most unrestricted donations go into the agency’s coffers to keep the doors open.
Think about making a donation to someone or an agency who hasn’t asked. It’s certainly much easier to open the envelopes from your mail stack and write a check. But there may be other needs in your community that don’t get to you. Maybe making a donation of books to your local elementary or high school library, or a donation to a neighborhood park, animal shelter, etc. Think about what matters most to you and how you think you can best help. This doesn’t mean giving away your old junk to someone or someplace who doesn’t need it (in truth, this isn’t actually philanthropy!), but to think about what the needs truly are and how sharing what you have can help.

There are no hard and fast rules for how to give to charities this time of year. Some people prefer to give one large gift to one organization, while others want to give a little bit to several organizations. Both are fine ways to give. A $25 gift is a perfectly respectable donation so don’t get caught up in thinking that only large gifts make a difference. The important thing to remember is to give of your time and money where you feel most connected and where you think it is doing good. And, you will feel good knowing you are supporting something you truly care about.

Source: AssociatedContent.com