Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Things to do in January

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 every cause. By aligning your giving with the issues that resonate with your values and by targeting effective charitable organizations, you can focus your giving to make the most difference. It will also help you monitor how well you’re following your plan.

To learn how to develop a giving plan, click here.

Once you’ve identified the charities you want to support, it’s an easy task to determine the amount of gifts to each that will fit your charitable giving budget. And, like anything else in life, plans sometimes need to be adjusted as the year progresses. But in just a few easy steps, you’ve set up a structure for your giving that will make it effective and satisfying. And, of course, throughout this process the Charities Review Council staff is available to help you by e-mail or phone.