A friend recently confided in me. She said “I am embarrassed that my family gives away so little money. But I don’t know where to start.” I assured her this is a common sentiment and that giving can feel overwhelming. We are bombarded with messages about giving in the last months of the fiscal year but those emails, calls, and texts usually just contain an ask for money. If you are feeling like you want to start giving or want to give more this holiday season, I encourage you to keep reading.

Why give?

People give money for many reasons: People may want to give in accordance with their values. People may want to support organizations that solve problems that matter to them. Others may want to give back to institutions and organizations from which they have benefited. Some people are motivated to give by religious beliefs. Some people give in honor of or in memory of someone. All these reasons – and more – are valid. I find that many people give for a combination of reasons. 

Who to support?

There are many organizations that are worthy of support. It can be difficult to figure out which are the best ones for you to support. Here are questions to consider:

• Which institutions were meaningful to me in the past? (Consider schools, colleges, universities.)
  
• Which institutions are meaningful to me now? (Consider your local library, museums, places of worship or other places you visit regularly.)
  
• What experiences have I had that left an impact on me?
  
• What issues and causes are important to me and my family?
  
• What problems concern me? Which organizations help to solve those problems?
  
• What organizations do my friends and family support? Do those resonate with me?
  
• Which organizations are interesting to me? Why?
   

Thinking through these questions can help you hone in on organizations that serve as conduits to issues that matter to you. If you identify issues you care about but don’t know about associated organizations, consider asking friends or family or researching on your own. Think locally, nationally, and globally if it speaks to you. 

How much to give? 

There is no right number to give. You don’t need to give the same amount each year or support the same organizations each year. When considering an amount, what feels right? $100? $500? $1,000? $10,000? Try and identify an amount you spend on something and then ask yourself if you would feel comfortable donating that amount. For example, if you go out for dinner and spend $200, how would you feel about donating that amount to a charity? Using real numbers can help provide clarity.

You can also identify an amount you want to give each year and then allocate how you want to give it. That number can stay the same or it can grow over time. In addition to giving money, you can also support organizations in other ways.

How to give? 

Once you have answers to the questions above, consider how you want to give. You may want to consult a tax professional. You can write a check, pay via credit card, or pay via appreciated securities (among other ways). Your employer may have a matching gift program, whereby they match (usually up to a certain amount) the amount you give to a charity and contribute that amount, thus amplifying your impact. 

No matter what you give this holiday season, thank you. Your giving makes a difference.

If you’d like more information on how to give charitably this holiday season, please reach out. You can also learn more about organizational fundraising by reading about key fundraising terminology.