If you’ve been giving to favorite charities for many years, it will not surprise you to learn that most donors are interested in deepening and focusing their impact as they maintain the frequent and total amount of giving. 

Focusing on impact is hard, but it’s easier when you work with the community foundation and follow best practices for making grants to favorite causes. The community foundation’s expertise can be invaluable to you and your family as you pursue your charitable goals.

Here are three suggestions for refining your giving strategies to support your favorite causes.

Educate yourself. 

Learn about best practices that are emerging in the growing field of philanthropy. You can discover various philosophies that can drive charitable giving and gain insights from examples of what other philanthropists report has worked well and not so well. Working with the community foundation team is an excellent way to gain access to the most up-to-date research and resources on making an impact, including ways to make decisions with your partner or involve your family.  

Follow your heart.

Your charitable giving is going to be most effective when you support the causes you truly care about. You’ll be more committed and better able to focus on impact if you experience the psychological rewards of providing financial support to organizations that align with your personal beliefs about how quality of life can improve for people in the community. 

Seek information.

Information about nonprofit organizations is widely available to you through several online sources, including being able to access nonprofit organizations’ tax returns to see detailed financial data. As you do your online research, consult the team at the community foundation. We are happy to interpret the information available online and provide important context for the meaning of that information as it relates to the actual work of the nonprofit organization and the ways you are supporting it.