Halloween is over and this is the season of giving. This is one of my favorite times of year. We aren't religious, however I do like to get in the spirit of giving. While we can do a lot by donating food we've bought with good sense, there are other ways of maximizing your donations.
One of my favorite sites is http://www.charitynavigator.org/ as you can see the efficiency of various organizations in areas you are interested in donating to. I prefer to donate to organizations that use 90% or more of my donation towards funding what I'm trying to help fund, this is an ideal, of course I have favorites who fall short. You can look at what CEO's at the non-profits are earning (in some cases, this is shocking), exactly how money is spent, and decide if your donation will be used wisely. If you want to donate money for children, look in that category and find the highest efficiency to stretch your dollars further. Not all non-profits are managed well!
Another way to stretch your donations is to wait for donation matching drives. I know that Appalachian Service Project will do this multiple times a year. So I only donate during matched times. So even if my donation is small, it does double the good!
Another favorite website is http://www.kiva.org You donate $25 to an entrepreneur of your choice around the world. On top of this money that goes directly to an entrepreneur, you pay a donation to Kiva from $0-whatever you'd like. So you decide how efficient they are! Your $25 is paid back and you can reloan. This is a great option if you only have a little to donate. This is also a great project to get children interested in helping up our world community. This is also a great present for others in this season of giving. Who wouldn't want to help others?!
Save your receipts for tax time!
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