SO there are all sorts of philanthropic pitfalls and landmines out there, difficult to navigate at times…when you think you are giving to a good cause but the money goes to something beyond what you bargained for, and perhaps something in which you don’t believe or can’t support (hello Salvation Army!)
Since so many of us have the holiday spirit of giving front and center these days, and perhaps a few more of us are thinking ahead to April 15 and want to be sure we get charitable donations handled for the tax season…be sure you know where your hard-earned dollars are going. Use a little filtering before you hit SEND on your computer, or sign that check (if anyone still has checks), or drop your change into the bell ringer’s bucket.
Use charity evaluation agencies who oversee the publicly required reports and practices of non-profit and charitable organizations, and give ratings based on their criteria (not all agencies share the same categories for their report cards…it can’t hurt to cross-reference). Make sure you feel good about doing good, this year and every year.
Find a great list of websites after the jump to help you make these important decisions… Continue reading
Change by Doing 