10 Things I've Learned as an Obsessive Volunteer: Finding a Worthy Cause is Easy, Finding a Worthy Org Takes Super Brain Powers

In the past 15 years I've volunteered for hundreds of Orgs and this is what I've learned. With so many worthy causes over the holiday season it's so difficult to determine where your time/money will have the greatest impact. Hope it helps.

(1) Find an Org with efficient operating costs. That doesn't necessarily mean low operating costs but more often than not it may. Some causes have higher costs. You may easily find financial/tax statements of most Orgs online.

(2) Keep close watch of CEO salaries. We need to recruit top leadership in the non-profit sector & though some expertise is costly, money shouldn't determine if a person is dedicated to their job. A high paid CEO doesn't imply excessive payment, but it also doesn't entail value add.

(3) I try to rationalize the concept to "highest impact." Some causes have a low population impact but a HUGE impact on a target group or even a single person. Level of effort is a business consideration but when it comes to giving back, a large effort with a small result is sometimes extremely rewarding.

(4) The people in the most need of basic necessities (& usually high death rates) are also the most difficult to reach geographically. Smaller Orgs are riddled with redundancies/inefficiencies, but may be the only hope.

(5) With that in mind: I've found some countries operate under different values than the ones we hold in our home country. That may mean bribes, corruption, etc... are REQUIRED to carry out certain tasks. As long as the Org is honest with the donors about the possibilities and the donors are willing to take a hit to meet the need, I see this as a compromise. Without it, some causes would never survive. Be sure it doesn't conflict with your local laws/regulations: what's legal in one country may not be legal in yours, so seek expert guidance.

(6) Anything of monetary value that transfers from one country to another is called foreign direct investment. It doesn't take a return on investment for an exchange to be an investment. This may have an impact on your local economy, so if it's important to you, open your eyes to the issues in your backyard. There's a cost/benefit to international service.

(7) It doesn't take money or even a lot of time to make a difference. Find things that are important to you and help promote them with the click of a button. Marketing/PR goes a long way to reach those who may have $/time to offer.

(8) You don't need to travel to manage projects internationally. Travel only costs more $ that could be used for good causes and the sacrifices in your personal or professional lives may be leveraged. We live in a digital world and there are plenty of good people and Orgs that may audit or assure intentions are met in a project. Communication is the key to a successful project so use video and phone conferencing to get things done.

(9) Though there are so many worthy causes and so many ways to make a difference to complete strangers, some causes are life and death while others may simply require additional support. It's very easy to get caught up in service but the best way to be of service to others, is to take care of yourself. This includes your job, your family/pets, and your close friends. Often you will sacrifice helping someone close to you in order to make a difference, so balance is necessary.

(10) If you don't want to do the work and just want to donate, call someone who supports multiple causes. Usually a quick call may help you find an Org that meets your passion, is legitimate, and would benefit greatly from your support.

The easiest way to give back to the world is to stay positive, encourage people to be different and challenge the norm, and when voicing your opinion, do so constructively, in a solution-oriented manner and with purpose. During these holidays, remember you don't need to look too far to find someone in need, even if they don't know how to ask for help.