Articles Posted in Charitable Giving

Want to better understand the mistakes charities make, so you can do a better job in your own philanthropic endeavors?

With the yearly end-of-year run on charitable giving now behind us for 2013, and year-end stresses subsiding, this might be a good time to consider how to approach your philanthropy to do the most good.

Sometimes knowing what not to do is more instructive than a positive lesson. This is true in all of life’s lessons, big and small (think sticking your tongue on a frozen flagpole).  When it comes to charitable giving, a recent article in Barron’s chronicles how well-intentioned charity often fails in its follow-through. The article, titled “Philanthropic Fiascos,” provides a few major real-life examples of incredible generosity squandered, including the failure of positive change in Haiti despite an incredible international outpouring of charitable funds.

As the year comes to a close, it is time to consider how we show our generosity, so we can allocate our resources deliberately and effectively.

There is still time to give those charitable gifts for 2013! And there are countless worthy causes to choose from.  So the question is: do the charities you select fulfill the purpose behind your contribution?

While you are in the “holiday spirit,” you might want to survey a recent Forbes article titled “What Kind Of Philanthropist Are You? A How-To For Aligning Your Giving With Your Personal Values.”

“What we’ve found is that donors give — and give more — when confident the money will actually make a difference."