How Easy (or not) is Choosing a Charity?

Welcome to the next in our series of monthly articles about all things charities.

Helping others can make a significant impact when it’s done well. And it’s at the heart of what my business, Collective Manifesto, does.

Giving to charity should be easy – there’s enough of them (600,000 in Australia alone) and countless social issues to tackle.

So, Why Don‘t People Give?

In our experience, these three reasons top the list:

• How do I choose what cause/s to support?;
• Which charities should I give to especially with so much duplication?; and
• How do I know my money is making an impact and not being spent on other costs?

So, Where Do You Start?

Think about which social issues you care most about - based on either personal experience, such as it affecting you or someone you love; what you’ve read in the media; or a sense that things need to change.

Education, violence against women, Indigenous Australians, homelessness, housing, environment, global poverty, medical research, the arts … to name a few.

There are no wrong causes and no wrong reason/s for choosing one over another, it’s all about what resonates with you personally.

What’s Next?

It’s good to look at the type and breath of work a charity is doing and their impact on the people they help and also on the wider community.

It’s also worth looking at what difference your size donation will make. You can do this by checking the charity’s annual budget including their fundraising, grants, and donations.

You can also decide whether you’d prefer your funding to support a specific program or project, or for the charity to use it where they think it’s needed most.

Most importantly, if you don’t believe in what a charity is doing to support the issue or that your money will make a meaningful difference, find one that will. It’s what we help our clients achieve.