HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

Just my 2 cents…

Many people volunteer all year long, but the end of the year has donating to a good cause on everyone’s minds. Part of it is we are feeling generous during the holiday season for those less fortunate. Part of it is because we wish to make the new year “different” and turn over a new leaf. And, of course, part of it has to do with a tax write off for the end of the fiscal year. No matter what your motivation is, there are many organizations who would appreciate your help.

The beginning of the year is the best time to start to think about it.

With so many groups relying on heart tugging commercials and fliers, it is often difficult to determine which group will put your donation to the best use, or, in otherwords, the donation will go towards what you are intending it for. While we understand there are more expenses than the public is aware of, it is discouraging to constantly give to a group(s) and see no assistance actually given.

1) Stay away from mass (print) mail and telemarketing. If you feel strongly about the organization, give in another way.

Large charities like the ASPCA and Humane Society of the United States send out mass mailings soliciting donations at various times of the year. The truth is that much of this is sent out by a third party and the charity only gets a small percentage. A telemarketer representing an organization contacted us and when pressed, we found out that the charity was only getting 10% of our donation, so we declined.

Please don’t get me wrong, there are many great organizations that send out mail to remind you or update you as not all of their supporters are tied to a computer. Some have had the fortune to have a benefactor who pays for their mailings or other fundraising that is earmarked clearly. But if you receive a letter with free mailing labels, think twice about sending something in the reply envelope.

2) Is the group a lobbying group or do they actually work with your cause hands on? We are not saying not to give to lobbying groups if that is your choice. But most people are unaware of groups they thought they were giving to that they thought they helped individual people or animals actually don’t.

3) Give to fiscally responsible groups. If the group is a 501(3)c, they should have an annual report or be able to tell you where your donations are going. Also, if a group seems to bring in money, but is always begging for people to pay all its back bills that are high in arears and never moves forward, then that should be a red flag. Donations are not like having a line of credit. Sometimes a group can anticipate what is going to come in and act accordingly, but if a group is asking for money constantly to replace money they used for just covering the basics, then take an honest look. You should not have to donate towards someone’s mismanagement.

4) Attend meetings, get involved. Go to your local shelter’s community or member meetings once in awhile even if you can’t be heavily involved just to get a feel for what their group actually does to see if that’s where you want your money to go, get on their email list or internet chat group. If you give to a national group, find out if the local branch/local volunteers are worth your money and give to the ones in the field.

5) Remember, we can’t save them all (Although some would like to). Whether you are consider giving to an animal rescue, a mission, a children’s shelter, a literacy group, or whatever the case may be…don’t penalize them from not being able to save the world. Focus on the dogs or cats or rabbits or kids that they have COMMITTED to save. It is better to fully commit to the care and succeed with the 10 a group has committed to for life, than to take 50 in, put a band-aid on them and ship them back out or warehouse them. Some groups have the resources and volunteers to truly assist a large number, and that’s wonderful, but for all - quality (follow through) over quantity is the name of the game.

6) Is the group also taking measures to eliminate the problem that it is set out to treat? Is a rescue group spaying kittens and puppies before they go to their new home to ensure they don’t become a statistic or are they pretty lax? Is a children’s assistance group not just looking at the child who is already half lost, but checking on their siblings too?

7) Do you agree with the cause? If you give to a cause, unless you are involved in some other way, you cannot expect to dictate to the group what you want them to do point by point. Sometimes, groups are not managed efficiently, but on the other hand, you need to make an assessment “Is this group doing what it set out to do?” And if the answer is “yes” and you find yourself disagreeing with the good works that the group is doing, then its time to find a cause that is more compatible to you to support rather than badmouthing a good group that is just not your cup of tea.

If you are looking for a new group to check out, in the coming days and weeks, I have a few that you may not have heard of are worth you checking out.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.