Giving by individuals continues be dominate the landscape of charitable giving. Individual giving consistently ranks somewhere around 75% of all charitable giving in America.
So, the question is how, out of approximately 1.4 million different charities to choose from, do you select whom is going to get your charitable gifting dollars?
People generally give to those charities with which they feel a personal, emotional connection. This is why universities, religious organizations and hospitals are continually among the most successful fund-raisers. You feel connected to your alma mater, your church, and the hospital that treated you or someone you love very well through difficult times.
But what are the other ways that people determine which charities to support?
Beyond the personal connection factor many use to select the recipient of their charitable dollars, some of the factors may include:
- A cause that you feel passionately about, such as the environment, services for the poor, elderly, children or abused. You may not have any personal connection with the charity, but believe strongly in the work that they do.
- Celebrity endorsement. Why should we give money to a charity because our favorite singer or actor endorses them? Who knows, but programs like "Idol Gives Back" raise untold sums of money.
- Response to recent news/disaster, such as 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina
- Response to direct mail
- Response to telemarketing
- Other
Here's the amusing part. Few people would response that we select our charities based on direct mail (i.e. "junk mail") or telemarketing, but the charities will tell you that some of the best results that they get is a result of a direct mail or telemarketing campaign.
So, let's hear it! 1.4 million charities. How do you choose?
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