“The holiday giving season is in full swing,” said Tara Siegel Bernard in The New York Times. Determining how much to give and to which charities is highly personal, “often influenced by our financial circumstances, life experiences, or personal connections to a particular cause.” But ethicists and charity experts say that donating “more of your money to people in distant lands” is the best way to make the most difference. “I can send money to an organization in Uganda just as easily as I can to one in New Haven,” says Yale economics professor Dean Karlan. “But in Uganda, I can send the same dollar and do 10 times more.” Some experts suggest that well-off families give away 10 percent of their gross income, while others urge donors to just “start giving, even at a relatively low level,” and then try to give more next time. In any case, vet your recipients closely, says charity expert Katherina M. Rosqueta. “How well you give,” she says, “is far more important than how much.”
Take advantage of online tools to vet charities, said Mitch Lipka in Reuters.com. GuideStar, Charity Navigator, and the Wise Giving Alliance are all helpful sites, “but you can dive a bit deeper on your own, too.” Any charity’s website should link to recent tax returns and financial documents, including an annual report and auditor’s statement, which you can read to learn about a group’s finances, board members, mission, and accomplishments. Spending too much on overhead is “a red flag,” but on the other hand, “having a low ratio isn’t necessarily a green light.” Your primary goal should be to find a cause “you want to get behind” that is run by experienced people.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
In what countries is assisted dying legal or in consideration for being made legal?In the spotlight More countries are granting more people the right to die
-
5 captivating books to read in Maythe week recommends Brittney Griner tells her own story, a coming-of-middle-age novel and more
-
The secretive practice of 'catch-and-kill' tabloid journalismThe Explainer Outlets such as the National Enquirer have become infamous for using the practice
