How to decide where to give to charity
Here’s a helpful guide this giving season.
You want to do good in the world. There is an impact you hope to have.
How do you decide where to donate? How do know where to give?
👉Swipe through this series to learn more about how I make decisions on who to give to and my best tips for you!
You might be new to giving or skeptical of nonprofits. I get it.
Here are some things to ask yourself:
What am I most passionate about?
What does the world need right now?
What impact do I want to have?
What injustice exists that keeps me awake at night?
Who is doing a great job at what they do?
I don’t care as much about overhead as I do about impact.
When evaluating whether or not to give to a nonprofit, instead of asking how much they spend on overhead, consider:
What impact did they intend to have and do they actually have that impact?
Consider their impact. Quality over quantity. More people served is not always a measure of a great org. How are they serving those people? Low overhead does not mean efficiency.
How do they treat their employees? Check 990 forms on guidestar.org to see if the highest-paid employees are paid competitively and fairly. Nonprofit leaders and employees are largely overworked and underpaid.
How diverse is their org? In terms of age, race, experience, background, gender? How diverse is the board?
Diversity for me isn’t a fad or politically correct, but makes an organization stronger, more profitable, more impactful, and makes better decisions. It’s the best way to operate and the right thing to do.
If you’re really curious and you want to give more, reach out to the team there and ask questions. Set up a phone call and ask questions about what they do and why they do it that way.
The money you have is a tool in your hand to build the world you long for.
Take a proactive approach.
If the overhead is low, this may be a red flag that they are not a sustainable organization.
Giving reminds us that there is so much more to life than our own personal challenges and that life is about loving and serving others.
What are some things you consider when giving?
PS. 31% of giving happens in December! People will be asking where do I give? I'm looking to make a charitable donation, any recommendations? Send this to your board members and friends who are asking these questions.
