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Supporting Local Heroes: How to Choose the Right Charity

Wanting to support a charity is a noble thing but how do you know which charity is the right one for you to donate to when there are so many to choose from? Keep in mind that making a charitable donation should be a meaningful experience that is done from your heart and is a charity that is close to your heart for whatever reason. It is not how much you give that is important but the fact that you give with a kind and generous heart. For example many people make donations in memory of family members or friends who have passed on and the donations are made to a charity that the deceased person was very passionate about. This is very commonly seen in obituaries where it states that “in lieu of flowers” donations will be accepted to a given charity. The charitable gift should make a difference to the lives of both the giver as well as the organization that receives it.

In order to choose the right charity, consider your motivation. What makes it interested in giving to one particular charity as opposed to another? For a great deal of people this has to do with the fact that it has impacted the person’s life in some profound and very personal way. The right charity is one that shares your perspective or vision and its mission is very close to what yours is.

If your charitable gift will bring happiness, joy and pleasure to the donor of it then you have chosen the right charity. A donation should always have positive consequences to the charity it goes to and if you do not think it will then keep looking for another one. If you feel completely confident and fulfilled by the charity you have chosen and you have no insecurities or uncertainties or no nagging afterthoughts then you have chosen well and deserve a pat on the back.

Planning is also key to choosing the right charity. Time and effort play a role in the choice of the proper charity. You have to choose the right charitable gift for the right charity at a time when it will be needed the very most. Give planning a great deal of consideration when it comes to choosing the appropriate charity.

Remember that there is more than one way to give a charitable gift and this should figure into the charity that you choose to give your hard earned dollars to. Giving a cash donation is a simple and easy route to take that is favored by a great deal of people. Keep in mind that a cash donation can only be claimed on your income tax forms for the year it was given in. Bequests are another way to leave money to those you love or to make a donation to a charitable that is near and dear to your heart after you have passed on. A bequest is a gift that is left to an individual or charity in your will.

Charitable gift annuities are another way to go. In its most basic definition a gift annuity is “a contractual agreement in which you transfer assets to a designated organization in exchange for an annuity.” By making a donation by way of a gift annuity what you do is you contract for a payment of fixed income for either yourself or for somebody else.

But gift giving does not end there. It can also take the form of a charitable remainder trust, a life insurance policy, real estate or securities. Whichever charity you decided to donate funds to always remember to do it from your heart and do not simply do it for income tax purposes. Look for the higher more humane purpose for giving and remember that you are not giving your money but you are giving of yourself as well.