The charitable giving season is upon us, starting with Giving Tuesday (December 1st) and leading up to the end-of-year holiday giving push. Many of us will soon be receiving requests from friends and nonprofit organizations for donations to support causes big and small. If you are like most, you want to be sure that your gift of any size is truly making a difference. Here are six quick tips to help you sort it through from Laura Rossi, Executive Director of the Westchester Community Foundation:
1.) Start with knowing what is important to you and your goals for charitable giving. There is an endless list of needs and issues. Know what resonates with you and where you feel the most passionate about making a difference. We recommend you narrow your giving to 5 to 10 areas and to be sure to include local needs.
2.) Before you write a check, get to know the cutting-edge approaches to the causes you care about. There is a wealth of resources available to help you learn the landscape and delve into current research on what’s working. Researchers are developing best practices and fresh approaches to seemingly intractable problems such as poverty and climate change.
3.) Select a charity that uses evidence-based practices and emphasizes measurable results. Effective nonprofits identify the causes of the issues they seek to address and keep asking themselves whether they are making an impact. Read their website, newsletters and annual reports to determine how they measure and track results.
4.) Don’t stop there. Research outside sources for ratings and reviews, such as GiveWell and Charity Navigator, to determine how they use their resources and be confident that your donation is making an impact.
5.) Get hands-on. There is no better way to know whether you are truly making a difference than volunteering. This can be tailored to what works for you, such as once a month days of service (a great way to involve children and grandchildren) or through longer commitments such as board service. The closer you get to an organization, the better you will know that your time, talent, and money are making a difference.
6.) Stay current and ask questions. The field of philanthropy, including foundations of all sizes and individual donors at all giving levels, are deploying exciting new approaches to solve age-old problems. It’s also a field characterized by collaboration and knowledge-sharing to ensure that efforts are impactful. Want to learn more? The Westchester Community Foundation is a great local resource to help you become more confident in your charitable giving. A nonprofit itself, the Westchester Community Foundation promotes informed, responsible philanthropy. They know that anyone can be a philanthropist, and are here to help you get started.
ABOUT THE WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION:
Since 1975, the Westchester Community Foundation has worked to improve the quality of life in Westchester by addressing community issues, promoting responsible philanthropy, and connecting donors to critical, local needs. The Foundation enables people with philanthropic interests to easily and effectively support the causes they care about—immediately or through their estate plans. The Westchester Community Foundation ended 2014 with assets of $60 million and distributed $1.5 million dollars in discretionary grants to local nonprofits last year. For more information, visit: www.wcf-ny.org.