Charitable Donations: Find Your Passion

John Romano of Fort Lauderdale with Child in Need in Egypt

Most people want to help those in need. If you look around, though, there is a horde of worthy causes competing for your charitable dollar. How do you choose the right charity? By finding one that has personal meaning.

When you spend money, value matters. That’s just as true with charitable donations as it is with buying a new car or a pound of coffee. If you donate to a nonprofit organization that you connect with in some way, then you get more value for your money. You get a greater feeling of satisfaction than if you just drop a dollar in some random bucket at the grocery store checkout.

Each of us has different Save the Childrenconcerns. One person could have a brother struggling with substance abuse or a parent lost to lung cancer or a child with cerebral palsy. A musician might be upset at the loss of the local school’s music program while a biologist worries about species extinction. All of these concerns are important but these individuals will gain greater satisfaction from donating their time and money to organizations supporting their personal causes than to any other charity.

My charity of choice is Save the Children, a nonprofit organization committed to improving the lives of children around the world who face starvation, abuse and disease. This is a great cause and these children need your help, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the ideal charity for you.

You shouldn’t feel obligated to give to a charity some random guy on the internet supports or to an organization a reality TV star brings up on a talk show or to the cause your friend is involved in. You may care about these organizations but you may not be so passionate about them. Of course you may care about starving children and breast cancer and abused animals and protecting the rainforest and war refugees and landmines… but to feel extremely great about supporting a particular cause, you must support something you are truly passionate about.

Find your focus. Find your passion. You will do more good zeroing in on a single cause, a single organization that matches your outlook in life, than you will tossing pocket change at every person who approaches you with a hand out.

 

Written by

John Romano is an entrepreneur, marketing strategist, Internet consultant, blogger and an expert in the technical, conceptual, and content development of online startups. He is the founder of several ecommerce sites and has helped multiple companies launch successful online businesses.

10 comments

  1. Jennifer D.

    Charitable Donations: Find Your Passion

    I’m a member of a social service sorority at my college – not Greek – our focus is on social services. One of our causes is the Alzheimer’s Association. It is a very worthy cause. Great article.

    • Charitable Donations: Find Your Passion

      Jen, it is indeed a great cause. Keep it up!

  2. Charitable Donations: Find Your Passion

    Hi John, Save The Children is a great charity to support. I personally like animal charities and there are a couple locally that I both help out at and give to on a regular basis. As I work part time as a Youth Worker I know how much children’s charities need support though.

    Enjoy the journey.

    Mandy

    • Charitable Donations: Find Your Passion

      Mandy, in my own way, I have started helping animals as well. I stopped eating animal products!

  3. tonimarie2448

    Charitable Donations: Find Your Passion

    Yes, this is true. Supporting charities is always a good cause and finding just one or a few that you support wholeheartedly is best. Great article. Good read.

    • Charitable Donations: Find Your Passion

      Thanks for your feedback!

  4. Bridget Ahern

    Charitable Donations: Find Your Passion

    Outstanding post John! I like to browse at Charity Navagator once in awhile to find worthy charities that relate to my causes. An added benefit is they rank the charities on how efficiently they spend donations. http://www.charitynavigator.org/ … For Kids, I support Make A Wish Foundation and St. Judes Children Hospital.

    • Charitable Donations: Find Your Passion

      Bridget, those are great charities as well.

  5. Kim

    Charitable Donations: Find Your Passion

    You simply get a better sense of self-worth if you help a charity with a cause that personally affects you in some way., but charitable contribution decisions shouldn’t just be made with the heart. Research programs that give the highest percentage of the donated money to actually help people, or animals, that need it. So much money is wasted on overhead in some charities.

    • Charitable Donations: Find Your Passion

      Kim, you are absolutely right. I can tell you have a “business mind”! ;)

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