Using Your Heart and Head

Choosing a charity can be a challenge. One of the advantages of donating through the Utah State Employees Charitable Contribution Campaign is the charities have already been approved. To qualify for your support, charities must:
--Be in compliance with the Utah Charitable Solicitations Act administered by the Utah Division of Consumer Protection.
--Have current IRS 501C3 non-profit, tax exempt status.
--Complete an Application for Inclusion in the Utah State Employee' Charitable Fund Campaign.
--Be approved by the Charitable Fund Board.

Check out their website at http://www.usecf.state.utah.us/

But what if you still can't decide? There are several questions you can ask yourself to help choose a charity.

First, identify a cause that speaks to you. Do you care about the environment? Are you interested in medical issues? Are you an animal lover or are you concerned with helping children? Do you want to support the arts, or put an end to poverty and homelessness? Are you passionate about religion, education, or other issues?

Once you narrow down the kind of charity you want to choose, where do you want your money to go? Do you want to contribute to people in your community, or on the other side of the world? Do you want to make a difference locally, regionally, nationally or internationally?

Should you pick a large or small charity? If you donate to a large charity, you can be part of a larger whole. You may not be able to find a cure for cancer on your own, but you along with other donors can make a large impact. On the other hand, your single gift to a smaller organization may have a larger impact on the charity. Your donation might keep an important program running or allow a new project to launch.

Once you have focused on your interests and where you would like the money to go, evaluate the programs and goals of the organization. Most charities have websites with valuable information about their purpose, programs and vision for the future. Are these goals realistic? Do they have a good plan for reaching those goals?

Even if you select a well-known charity, take the time to find out exactly where your money is going and what it is being used for. You may want to do some research on http://www.charitynavigator.org/ which rates individual charities and how proficiently they raise money. Copies of the returns filed with the IRS are available without cost at http://www.guidestar.org/

The Division of Consumer Protection http://www.consumerprotection.utah.gov/ offers some valuable information under "facts about giving wisely."

Now that you have determined what charity to give to are you going to make a one time donation or payroll deduction? Log on to http://www.usecf.state.utah.us/ to pledge on line.

If you can't donate financially, consider giving of your time and personal skills. This can be very valuable to the organization you are helping, and makes you feel great!



The purpose of life is not to be happy - but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all. ~Leo Rosten