Charitable Giving

We've been discussing taxes and write-offs this week and no such discussion would be complete without talking about charitable contributions. I'm a big believer in giving back and for me, the tax write-off that is allowed for charitable contributions is definitely NOT the reason I give. I give in order to improve the lives of those less fortunate than myself, period. If you want to make sure that your contributions will stand up to an audit, make sure you are making donations to legitimate 501(c) orgnizations and that you have receipts. But more importantly, give because you believe in giving, never give with the expectation of getting something in return.

There are a ton of reputable organizations that you can make donations to throughout the year. Choose your causes with your heart, not your head. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be smart about your giving. Make sure the organization is a worthy cause and that the percentage of funding that gets to the beneficaries is significant. There are a lot of honest charities that are just simply mismanaged and their overhead seriously impairs their effectiveness when it comes to helping the ones in need. A little research in this department goes a long way.

Giving makes me feel good, because I know that the charities we support are affecting people in ways that I could not possibly do on my own. There are projects for every imaginable need. Giving is good and it always benefits me in ways that cannot be described in terms that can be brought to a bottom line. The ability to give to others keeps me motivated to improve myself so that I can give more and more. I think we all would like to be able to give more than we do. Just try to make sure that your charitable donations are being used in ways that make the biggest possible impact for the causes that you hold near and dear.