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Tags: retirement, investing, money, finance, stock market,charitable donations, charitable donations 2018, charitable donations tax deduction, how to pick the right charity, charity navigator, the human fund, festivus, Seinfeld, guidestar, how to pick the right charity, Sunshine Division,

Transcript:

Remember in Seinfeld when George Costanza creates a fake charity in the Festivus episode - the Human fund. George gives out these cards to his co-workers stating that a donation had been made to a charity called "The Human Fund", with the slogan, "Money For People".

The festivus episode was one of the Seinfeld greats.  “The tradition of festivus begins...with the airing of grievances. I GOT A LOT A PROBLEMS WITH YOU PEOPLE!”

Ok, I digress...

When you donate money to charity, how do you know that it’s not just another human fund scam, but it’s a worthwhile organization that is aligned with your values.

That’s really the first step. What are your values? What are your priorities? Of all the causes related to education, the arts, animals, the environment, the needy and homeless, which causes resonate the most with your heart?

Those important priorities may shift over time, so it’s important to really ask yourself what’s most important to you and why you continue to donate to the charities you give money to. Above all, make sure those donations mean something to you.

Do your research. You’d be surprised how interconnected many charities are. I used to volunteer with and give money to the Sunshine Division, which is a charity that provides food and clothing to families in the Portland, Oregon. I was amazed when I found out how many other charities the Sunshine Division supported directly with food and clothing.

This is not always a good thing, though. If you’re going to give money or donate time, you’ll want to make sure that other organizations they partner with aren’t at odds with your beliefs or values.

For in-depth research on charities, tools like Charity Navigator and GuideStar can help you find more information.

Above all, make sure you chosen charities are aligned with your values, using it’s dollars efficiently, and that those dollars are really making an impact in the community.

That’s it for today, thanks for listening. Tomorrow, we’re going to recap the week and I’m gonna give you a little taste of next week’s theme.

My name is Ashley Micciche and this is the One Minute Retirement Tip.