Giving to a good cause can evoke some of the most wonderful emotions we feel. The problem is that many individuals give without always doing the proper research on the charities or what the charities do with the donated money. Most of you can remember the Seinfeld episodes where George gets people to donate lots of money to the human fund without anybody asking any real questions about the charity. When they did, George gave them a few concise answers and people just accepted it as fact.
Nowadays, friends ask us all the time through social media to donate money to various causes by clicking a link and filling out a form. Companies ask us to round up while shopping on line or make a $1 donation at the cash register while checking out our groceries. If you have budgeted aside a percentage of your income or a dollar amount that you can afford to give away, I recommend that you take the time to understand a little more about the charities where you are donating your money.
Of course I'm not suggesting you research every charity you donate a dollar to at the department store, but when you are making the more significant donations from your family budget you should do more research to see where those funds are best directed. Does the cause have a local charity vs. a national charity? Is the majority of the budget from the non-profit being used for the main cause you were supporting? How much money is going to overhead? These types of questions will allow you to feel more confident that your charitable giving is being allocated in the correct manner and allow you to be a better spokesperson for the organization you are assisting.
Written by: Ted Jenkin
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