People support causes or organizations for a number of reasons because they believe in a certain cause, they give in honor of someone, out of social consciousness, they give out of a feeling of moral obligations, tax reasons, a sense of belonging, etc. People give for any untold number of reasons. In fact, this is the season for giving with billions of dollars being donated annually.
The other day, I heard a story where someone gave to a charity only to find out that 30% of their donation went to the actual cause of the charity and 70% went to the administration of the charity. his really upset the individual who had really set out to do good for someone else.
This story got me to thinking…some amount of administration costs is reasonable, but certainly not the majority of a donation. So, how do you know if the money you donate will be put to use for the cause? I found the following on the internet. Hopefully, these steps to successful charitable giving will be helpful to you or someone you know.
1. Know the mission of the organization to which you are donating
2. See the impact that your donation provides
3. Volunteer your time at the organization to which you are donating
4. Research the organization’ s financial efficiency
5. Research the leadership of the organization
Beware if the organization is not transparent with the administration of the organization
So, by all means, please don’t stop giving. Instead, be informed about your charitable giving choices.
Teresa
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