Charitable Giving

The letters, telephone calls and solicitations for donations from charitable organizations have started arriving in the mail. One for a regional food bank was in my mailbox Saturday. Three more were received today. It is that time of year. Many - perhaps most - non-profits rely on the financial support of numerous donors to operate. And it is good for us to align ourselves with some of them and assist them. Just be sure to do your due diligence before making your gift. You can get guidance from the American Institute of Philanthropy. Charities have to know that donors are looking online and studying them a lot more carefully. Don't get in a hurry. If it just does not feel right, it probably isn't. Don't be afraid to say no. Today's Winning Thought: "The important thing to bear in mind is that the vast majority of charitable organizations are trying to do the right thing. Outright fraud is quite rare at nonprofits. The main issue in evaluating a charity is trying to determine how efficiently an organization operates." -- Stan Perlman, Senior Partner, Perlman & Perlman