5 Questions to Ask Before You Donate to Charity

Donating to charity isn’t always easy – there are a lot of decisions to make that can seem overwhelming and may even prevent you from donating at all. Do not fret – we’ve come up with 5 quick questions to ask yourself and the charity before you donate:

1. What are you truly passionate about?

With over 75,000 charitable (http://pfc.ca/canadian-foundation-facts/) organizations in Canada, choosing one to donate to can be a daunting task. The best way to start is by looking at what you value – is it education? The arts? Youth and children? Would you rather give to a cause with local or global impact? Once you decide, you can start narrowing down your list. The CRA(http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/chrts-gvng/lstngs/menu-eng.html) lists registered Canadian charities as well as their contact information – this is a good place to start.

2. How does the charity address the issue?

Maybe you’ve decided to give to a charity related to cancer, now you can begin to research the mission of values of each. One may focus on treatment, while others look at prevention, or both. Which one most accurately aligns with your values?

3. How do you want to be involved?

Giving to a charity doesn’t necessarily mean simply donating money. You can give you time, knowledge, connections, and more. Read our past blog post that looks at the many different ways you can give to a charity.

4. How will the charity use your contribution?

Take a look at the charity’s financials. A transparent charity should have their financial information available online. While you should be wary of large overhead costs, don’t view them as a deal breaker. A better gauge would be to look at what they’re able to accomplish with the resources they have.

5. What has the charity accomplished?

You’ve found a charity that supports your values and passions – now it’s time to see what kind of change it actually makes. What kind of impact has it had in the past, and what is it working on today to further its mission? Take a look at their past campaigns and if they were able to meet the goals they set out to accomplish.

These 5 questions should help you start out on your search for a charity. It may seem like a lot of work, but once you have decided, you can continue to work with that charity for years to come.

Take a look at the charities RLCF supports here.

Still have more questions? Ask us in the comments below! You can also connect with us on social media:

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