It gets under my skin to hear the leader of a nonprofit say its finances are private. That was the response of some of the six religious nonprofits that have stonewalled the U.S. Senate Finance Committee that has been working under both Republican and Democratic leadership to weed out and prevent charity abuse.One of my… Read more
A bright and educated friend told me he bought a goat online. Or rather he directed Heifer International to buy a goat for an impoverished family. I told him that was a generous act. “But of course,” I said, “you didn’t actually buy a goat.”It took some convincing to get him to read the fine… Read more
Start a physical fitness program … Review and adjust savings and investments … Develop a giving budget …What? A giving budget? Isn’t giving an impulsive thing one does out of generosity?Smart givers plan their giving in order to maximize the effectiveness of their generosity. No one (not even Bill Gates) has sufficient resources to support… Read more
As you empty your closets and basement to donate household items to charity during the holidays, keep in mind that charities need goods, not junk. That may sound harsh. Certainly the impulse to give is admirable, whether it’s money or “stuff” that’s being given. But I often hear people who work for nonprofits that accept… Read more
Charitable giving is as American as apple pie and foreign imports. The huge majority of American households annually gives something of value to charities, and at an ever-increasing rate. Never mind the surveys showing continued reduced trust in charities since 9/ 11.An inquiring mind might question whether it matters that people trust the charitable sector—they… Read more
