I am a firm believer in giving a portion of what you make to some sort of charitable organization. Whether you view that as your local church or some charitable organization is up to you. Many people, myself included, believe that giving is a major part of financial health since it takes your eyes off of just making money and helps you realize what you can do with money.  With all this time we spend talking about money we need remember that money is a tool not a prize.

That being said you should be careful about who or what you give your money to. Find a cause you believe in but make sure the people “leading” that cause are taking care of the money they are given. When we donate to a charity outside of our normal giving, my wife and I give to the Salvation Army. We do so because we believe in their mission and because they are one of the most efficient charities year in and year out. I know this because they are very transparent with their financial accounting and have gained this reputation through years and years of good stewardship.

If you are looking at giving to a charity but are not sure whether they are the best investment for your giving check out give.org and charitynavigator.org. I prefer give.org because they include the financial information from religious organizations in their data, but both are great websites. This is a great way to make sure the money you give is actually going to the cause or causes you believe in.

Paul on November 30th, 2007 | File Under giving | 2 Comments -