With the end of the year fast approaching, it’s only natural that you start thinking about ways in which you can give back. Afterall, many believe the end of the year is the season of giving. It’s not just about giving back, it’s about creating a meaningful impact, making sure that what you do or donate will have a profound effect on many lives.
Tips to Thoughtful Giving
There are a plethora of organization and charities out there, finding the right one to give your time and money to can be a daunting task. To prevent getting scammed and to make sure your money really goes where your heart is, consider following these steps:
- Start by identifying causes that are close to you, your team members, and your clients.
- Research these causes and narrow down the organizations that have a strong focus on it.
- Define whether you want to donate to a local, regional, national, or global organization.
- Pick 2 or 3 organizations and find out more about them: what kind of projects they lead, what their long-term goal/mission is, where they need the most help with, etc.
- If you like what you see, dig a bit deeper. Make sure they have all of the relevant information you need listed or that they are willing to provide it: are they a 501(c)(3) registered organization, that they are transparent about the funds they receive and how they’ve used them, and that they have their EIN listed.
- If you find everything that you’re looking for, start a conversation. Reach out to them to find out more about what type of help they need and what are some of their upcoming projects.
- Determine how you want to give to them. You might want to provide a financial donation, you might want to do some volunteer work, you might want to offer your professional services pro-bono, or you might organize a good drive to later provide them with.
- Once you’ve settled that, let them know, start planning, and make sure your follow-up with the organization regularly. Afterall, you want to be sure that the help you gave is being maximized and used accordingly.
While donating is a good cause in and out of itself, it does require some thoughtful planning to avoid mistakes and to make sure you can reap the benefits.
This year, Business Workspaces will be participating in Toys for Tots Sacramento program. Toys for Tots is a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve which distributes toys to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them gifts for Christmas. The program was founded in 1947 by reservist Major Bill Hendricks.
