It is just about Giving Tuesday, that means that someone has probably recently asked you for a donation. Unless you don’t care very much about others you are probably asking yourself “Where should I donate?”There are plenty of good options: Are you supporting socks for the homeless, christmas gifts for kids, or are you buying a goat for someone on the other side of the world?

How do you choose where to give?

Once you have narrowed it down from the thousands of charities you could support, it helps to ask these 5 questions:

1. What difference are they trying to make?  

Any charity should be able to answer this question in a single tweet. If they don’t know then don’t feel obligated to help

2. How do they do it?

There are many ways to do something. Do you like how they choose to work and are their activities all directed to the same goal?

3. How does the charity keep score? 

What do they use to measure their success? Are they making a difference and how do they know?

4. Where are the stories?

Everything sounds great in planning, but what does it look like in reality. Vague plans are not as helpful as real stories from real people.

5. How much do they spend on overhead?

Too much is terrible, but so is too little! What does the overhead cover and is it worth it?

Around here we are interested in the work of New Hope Schools Society. The plan for smokeless stoves in Haiti is simple and will make a lasting difference for thousands of people.

Wherever you are tomorrow, plan to make a donation. Put your money into something greater than yourself and make a difference

Happy Giving Tuesday!