Tis the season to by jolly and to help one’s fellow man and woman. Actually, every season is the season to help, but we tend to hyper-focus on the helping during the holidays. 

But as we help, we want to be doing the kind of help that helping is all about and not the kind of help we all could do without. 

You may have seen articles around this (and last) year about why you might not want to participate in the popular Operation Shoebox.   Or perhaps you’ve read about other toxic charities that end up doing more harm than good. 

So how do you know how to help in ways that allow your efforts and your dollars to do the most good for the most people? 

One of the best ways is to stay local. Get involved with groups that serve your immediate community and give to places where you know the people who work, volunteer or advocate there. You’ll learn a lot about what is truly helpful and what is not. 

And don’t base your giving to national organizations on memes and graphics you see on social media. Do your own homework. Check out an organization’s website to see if they share your values and their annual report to see how they spend their money.  Look at their ratings on Charity Watch or Charity Navigator. 

And don’t base your giving to national organizations on memes and graphics you see on social media. Do your own homework. Check out an organization’s website to see if they share your values and their annual report to see how they spend their money.  Look at their ratings on Charity Watch or Charity Navigator. 

No matter how little we have, we all have something to share. No matter how much we have, our resources are still finite. A little intention and effort can help us make sure that the helping we do is the kind of help that really makes a difference. 

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