Good morning,

You’ve seen the damage from Helene and Milton.

Many people want to help, but how?

One way to help is by giving money to charities.

But how do you know which charities to trust?

None of us want to unintentionally give money to “The Human Fund”

A reader sent me this email last week:

Hello Russ, I wonder if you could write a newsletter on the honest/trusted charities your clients could give to without worrying that the money is going into some crook's pocket.  Many people need help now because of these storms but I don't know how to help them.  Thanks, John

Appreciate the suggestion, John.

Let's learn how to pick the good ones!

What to Look For in a Charity

When you're thinking about giving money to a charity, there are a few things to check:

1. How they spend money: Good charities use most of their money to help people, not just to run their office.
2. What they actually do: Look for charities that clearly explain how they help.
3. If they're honest: Good charities tell you what they've done, even if things didn't go perfectly.

How to Check Charities

There are websites and resources that can help you learn about charities:

• Charity Navigator
• GuideStar
• CharityWatch
• Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta (there are more than 900 community foundations across the United States)
• CAF America

These sites give ratings or provide resources to help you evaluate charities and show how they use their money.

Questions to Ask

Before you give money to a charity, ask yourself:

1. Do I care about what this charity is trying to do?
2. Does this charity explain clearly how they help people?
3. Does this charity use most of its money to actually help people?

Tips for Giving

Here are some good ideas when giving to charities:

• Don't just look at how much money they spend on office and administration. It's more important to see if they're really helping people.
• Sometimes smaller or newer charities can be really good too.
• It's okay to give to more than one charity.
• Check in on your charities every now and then to make sure they're still doing good work. (more on this below)

Why This Matters

When you give money to a good charity, you're really helping people (or animals) who need it. By taking some time to choose carefully, you can make sure your money does the most good possible.

Remember, it's not just about giving money. It's about making sure that your donation really helps people who need it!

The Importance of Regular Review

The charitable landscape is huge and constantly evolving.

New organizations emerge, existing ones adapt, and global priorities shift.

It's important to regularly review and reassess your charitable choices (just like you regularly review and reassess your financial plan). 😉

With some of the above tools and strategies at your disposal, you can ensure that your generosity truly makes a difference in the world, creating lasting impact in the causes you care about most.

Links & Things

Just like with investing - and all things money - consider how our minds can impact our behavior - for better or worse - when it comes to our charitable decisions.

Here’s an interesting article from Shlomo Benartzi and Christopher Olivola on this very topic:

• The Mistakes We Make When Giving to Charity