How To Get The Most Value From Your Charitable Donation

Let’s face it: nobody gives completely selflessly. Our conscious and subconscious desires drive all our actions, including our most anonymous and well-intentioned contributions. On some level we are each looking for value when we make a charitable donation.

I’m not saying that wanting value from a charitable donation is a bad thing, though. Many people get tremendous value simply from pride in supporting a worthy cause. You might give because you want to make a change in the world you can’t do on your own, like bringing food to people across the globe. We don’t give to charity looking for a financial return, but we are looking for a return. Otherwise you would give to everyone all the time or to no one at all.

You can give on many levels, whether you’re buying a box of Girl Scout Cookies or writing your favorite charity into your will. Maximizing the value of your giving becomes increasingly important as amounts increase. Here are just a few ways you can create the most value out of your donation dollars.

Donate To A Charity That Means Something To You

This might sound obvious, but it strangely bears repeating: donate to charities and causes with deep personal meaning to you. Many people give to organizations and causes because they believe they “should” or they “have to,” even though they don’t have any meaningful emotional connection with them. This is especially true with religious and cultural causes rooted in birth and upbringing. You only get real value from your charitable donation when you feel like you’re helping.

If you don’t already have a cause that moves you deeply, set up a process so you can start your search. Get in touch with who you are and what you want to help accomplish in the world. Ask yourself why this cause moves you so deeply, so you can understand how to get the most value for yourself from your contribution. You can make stronger decisions when you’re clear about what motivates you.

If you’re really having a tough time discovering an exciting cause, take a look at your own passions and pains. What are you passionate about doing right now? Your passions generally arise from a problem or puzzle you wanted to solve early in life. Now you may have the opportunity to help others struggling with the same issue through giving.

Do Your Homework On Where Your Charitable Donation Goes

Not all charities are created equal. Many organizations might serve the same cause, and each will have its own financial and operational approach to achieve similar ends. Some non-profits run lean and spend very little on their daily operations, and others have massive machines to create significant impact. It’s up to you to decide what kind of charity you want to support, and do your due diligence to make sure the one you pick is accountable.

It’s easy to get the information you need about how an organization manages its resources so you can make an informed decision on who to support. Every non-profit is required by law to provide financial and operational information to the public, such as annual reports and tax filings. Sites like Guidestar.org collect this information to create an up-to-date directory of non-profits in the United States.

Watchdog groups keep an eye on non-profits to make sure their tax-free dollars are supporting the public interest they declared. You can check sites like CharityNavigator.org to see ratings on how non-profits manage and spend their resources. Giving to a highly-rated non-profit means your dollars are more likely to support the cause you care about instead of executive pockets. We are very proud to have the coveted four-star rating from Charity Navigator at the ALS Association Golden West Chapter, where I am a member of the board of directors.

Get Involved

If you really want to get the most value from your charitable donation, then get involved! Giving money helps keep the lights on, but nothing makes more impact than your involvement. There are lots of personal benefits to volunteering, like making new relationships and enhancing your mental well being. Plus, you can help your favorite charity spend more resources on your mission by chipping in to help out.

Volunteering doesn’t always mean spending hours in an office or in the field. One thing all charities work hard at every day is working to get their messages out to as many of the right people as possible. Recruiting new donors and volunteers helps keep the momentum going. Go through your contact lists and social media accounts and start reaching out to people about why your cause is so important to you and how they can get involved. Every email and social media post makes a difference.

You get first hand connection with the work you’re supporting when you volunteer. Get to see the good you’re doing when you’re up close and personal with the people you want to help. Nothing is more valuable than giving of your heart, and you get it all back many times over from the people you’re supporting.

Get The Value You Want From Your Charitable Donation

Our society doesn’t always put a high value on charitable giving, leaving many important causes under served or ignored altogether. I’ve heard many others say they don’t give because they don’t think it makes a difference, or they’re not sure where the money goes. There’s so much value to be found in donating to a cause you’re passionate about if you step up, find the right one for you and get involved.

One of the biggest misconceptions I encounter is that “non-profit” means the organization doesn’t make money. That’s not true! All it means is that no one person can take a distribution out of the organization’s funds like one can in a private company. All “non-profits” must actually turn a profit in order to keep the lights on. You can help keep your cause rolling and your heart full when you make charitable donations.