Category Archives: Resources

Doing the MOST Good: What to Look for when Choosing Charities

February 13, 2015Resourceschoosing charitiesKarah Hawkinson

Donating to charity seems like a straightforward proposition. You pick a non-profit that does work you support, and you give them some money, household goods, or time. It should be simple, but these days with social media, awareness campaigns, and so, so many charities to choose from, how do you know what’s really being done with your money? How do you select organizations that can do the most with your gift?

A Mission that Matches: When you find an organization that you might like to support with your money, goods, or time, do some digging. Check their mission statement and website “about us” section, and run an internet search. Get a good picture of what the organization stands for, what they do with the money they raise, and evaluate that against your personal beliefs and what you want your money to go toward.

The Non-Financial: If I “like” an organization on Facebook or follow them on Twitter or another social media platform, I become a statistic that benefits the charity because they can use their number of followers as proof that they have community support. Likewise, if you donate time at a non-profit, they probably track the volunteer hours, as we do at the history museum where I work. This is so they can prove community support for their mission. This is good, be part of that show of strength! I know some volunteers don’t want personal recognition, so they don’t always track the time they put in, but that accounting isn’t just so we can spoil our volunteers. The charities you support on social media or with volunteering take those statistics to big corporate donors, use them on grant applications, and show their boards and supporters just how many people believe in what they do. Every supporter matters, even if you don’t have money to give. Follow your favorite organizations on Facebook, and make sure you track your volunteer hours. Social media likes and recorded volunteer hours do have value to charities, in an indirect way.

I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to all the volunteers. Small organizations like my museum rely on volunteer involvement. You are so much more than just that statistic. You, in many ways, keep the doors open at small organizations and make the large-scale work of the big guys possible. It is not my intention to belittle the work of volunteers and their very direct and important contribution. I just want to make sure you understand that your time tracking has a value too.

Raising Awareness: Remember last year when the ALS “Ice Bucket Challenge” went viral? ALS is a disease most people only vaguely knew of because of its association with Lou Gehrig. Dumping some ice on your head does not help a single person, but the viral nature of the campaign actually led to an increase in donations, public awareness, and the spread of accurate information.

Awareness campaigns have their value. But they require something the public can really latch on to and promote at little to no cost to the charitable organization, like the ice bucket challenge. Television and print ads can have that same knowledge and donation generating power, but they are very expensive. Beware of organizations that use donations to advertise for more donations. While they may be doing great work, they’re limiting themselves by spending a lot of the donated money on expensive TV time. I’m not saying it’s always bad, sometimes the TV time is donated, but just be aware.

My other issue with awareness campaigns is charities that raise funds for the express purpose of raising awareness. If I have to choose between an organization that uses my money to raise awareness of childhood hunger and one that uses my money to fight childhood hunger, I’m going with the active over the passive every time.

Beware the Middle Man: Some organizations exist solely as a funnel to collect donations and hand them out to many charities. Some of these sub-organizations may be groups you personally don’t want to support. And every time your dollar changes hands, some of it disappears to pay for staff, marketing, etc. Your dollar goes a lot further when you donate it right to the organization doing the work you believe in. But I know how it is, some people are “strongly encouraged” to donate to the big funnel through their employers. Good news: you can usually specify where they send your contribution. The middle man pennies still disappear, but at least you can control who gets your gift while satisfying your employer.

So we’ve covered some of the things to watch out for, but how do you know? You’re going to have to do a little research. 501(c)(3) is the Internal Revenue Service’s designation for a non-profit organization, and donations made to 501(c)(3) charities are tax deductible. If you aren’t sure about an organization’s charity tax status, ask. With that designation come certain responsibilities. Charities have to file a form 990 with the IRS every year. You can see these tax forms on GuideStar. Comparing an organization’s annual report to their 990 will give you a good picture of what they do with your money.

To me, that’s a lot of work. If I were donating big bucks maybe I would put that kind of time into picking apart a charity’s financials – or pay my financial advisor to do the digging… But math isn’t my thing, and I don’t have that kind of time. Fortunately, other sites have done some of the analysis work for us. Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance are some of the evaluators out there who rate charities. You can see their criteria on their websites and then see how your favorite organizations stack up. Religious organizations and small local charities may not be included in their evaluations. Ministry Watch exists to evaluate religious non-profits, but I’m not familiar enough with them to give an endorsement for or against their work.

In digging for information for this blog post, the following resources were helpful to me. If you would like to dig deeper into choosing charities that do the most good, please read:

Consumer Reports article, “How is Your Favorite Charity Rated by Watchdogs?”

GuideStar article, “GuideStar offers Advice on Evaluating Charities’ Effectiveness”

New York Times article, “How to Choose a Charity Wisely,”

Wall Street Journal article, “Evaluating the Charity Evaluators”

7 Ways to Help When You Have Nothing to Give

February 6, 2015inspiration, Resources, Service ProjectsKarah Hawkinson

Life is expensive. Kids outgrow their shoes overnight, cars break down, and there is ALWAYS some home improvement project that needs attention. Finding additional money to donate for worthy causes like hunger is a challenge. Most of us don’t have the Bill Gates/Warren Buffet type of disposable income to make huge gifts. In fact, most of us use everything we have just to take care of our own. It can be discouraging, I know, but don’t despair! There are lots of things you are already doing that can be used to make a difference. And when my little bit joins up with yours, before you know it we’re contributing millions.

Here is a list of 7 ways that you can help when you have nothing to give.

Time is Money: It seems like you go through seasons in life when there is just not enough time, and seasons when there is not enough money. I’m in a “not enough time” season right now; our bills are paid, but I’m working six days a week while going to grad school on the side. Back when I was a stay-at-home mom, I had more time on my hands, but the finances were tighter. (And yes, sometimes you feel like you have neither time nor money. It happens. If you’re there right now, I hope it ends soon for you and you can reclaim some of your financial and/or scheduling independence.) If you’re retired, a stay at home parent, seasonally employed, or temporarily out of work, you may not have disposable income, but your free time isn’t free, it’s valuable!

Volunteer: Nearly all non-profit organizations use volunteer labor, and there are jobs for volunteers of all ages and abilities. You can pack meals at Feed my Starving Children or Kids Against Hunger. Volunteer at a food bank or soup kitchen. If you don’t know where to start, hit the internet and run a quick search for non-profit orgs near you, ask friends where they volunteer, or ask your pastor for suggestions.
Use your Time to Cut your Costs: When my schedule was a bit looser, I used to spend more time planning out my grocery spending. I got really good at matching coupons with store sales, shopping on the special double coupon days, and I trimmed my family’s grocery budget (which included: food, cleaning supplies, personal hygiene items, and pet food) by $150/month. It took time, for sure, but that time paid me well! Click HERE for Pocket Your Dollars, the blog that helped me find the matchups.
Use your Time to Make Some Money: I know this is really basic, but I’m not necessarily talking about taking on another job, just using a day or a weekend for your favorite cause. Holding a garage sale is a great way to make some money while cutting clutter. You can also sell your unwanted items on eBay, or drop off some clothes, shoes, and accessories at a consignment shop. Clean out the kids’ closets and the sporting goods in the shed and make a run to Once Upon a Child or Play it Again Sports.

Shopping and Gift Giving: Gift giving is a big expense. We all love to spoil our friends and family members, but that really adds up! There are a few things you can do to use those gifts to help more than one person

Credit Card Programs: Many credit cards these days have rewards programs. For example, when I use my card, I get points that I can redeem for gift cards to a wide variety of restaurants, retail stores, etc. Those gift cards make great gifts, or I can use them to shop for a gift. I know some people don’t use credit. That’s a totally valid choice that has a lot of benefits. But for those of us who responsibly do use cards, make sure you’re getting as much out of it as possible (and be careful; debt and identity theft are ugly monsters…).
Org Gear: Some of your favorite charitable organizations have merchandise that you can purchase. The money benefits their programs, and the gear creates awareness when you wear it. For J’s birthday this year, one of his gifts was a tee from our favorite organization, Feed My Starving Children. The cost of the shirt provided 65 meals for kids in need. Some people are rotten hard to shop for. Making a charitable donation in their name is a great option. Find out what causes and charities your loved one is passionate about, and give to that cause in their name.
Cause Apparel: There are a number of companies out there that use your purchases to employ the disadvantaged, teach job skills, or give a portion of their proceeds to charity. My sisters both got shirts from Sevenly for their birthdays. I spent the same amount as usual, but the gifts did double duty that both giver and recipient can feel good about. There are a lot of companies that fit this: Toms gives away a pair of shoes for every pair purchased (I still think they’re ugly, but to each his own). Noonday Collection and The Giving Keys sell accessories that give people work with dignity and help them dig their way out of poverty. There are a ton of good organizations like this – add the ones you’re familiar with in the comments!
Amazon Smile: I’ve mentioned this before on the Facebook page, but in case you missed it, you have to check out Amazon Smile. It’s really simple: instead of going to http://www.amazon.com, go to www.smile.amazon.com. Log in as usual, and chose a non-profit organization to receive a portion of the money you spend on Amazon. Most items are eligible (occasionally you see a third party seller’s item that isn’t eligible for the smile donation), the prices are the same as regular Amazon, and all the Prime members’ benefits count just like usual. You can change your charity, too. I like to switch mine up every couple months. Click HERE for the FAQ page about Amazon Smile.

There you go! Seven simple ways that you can help when you have nothing to give. I know there are more great ideas out there, share them in the comments!

What NOT to Donate to the Food Bank

January 30, 2015inspiration, Resources, Service ProjectsFamily Feud, You can't eat thatKarah Hawkinson

When my son was little, we passed the time on car rides by playing little games. One of his favorites was called, “You can’t eat that!” We would take turns naming things that you cannot eat, and then we would giggle about the silly notion of eating things like crayons, cars, and zombies with flamethrowers. Obviously I have only myself to blame for the sarcastic funny man my son has become. We’re like mediocre improv comics, or really bad Family Feud contestants (except we’re doing it on purpose. Seriously, click HERE for a YouTube video of some of the worst Family Food answers ever. Fair warning, it’s PG-13, so preview before you decide about showing it to the kids.)

In that spirit, we bring you first the funny and then the real
What Not to Donate to the Food Bank:

A piñata full of canned goods (ouch…)
Little refill packets for your E-Z-Bake Oven
Canned giraffe meat from your cousin the poacher
Plastic toy groceries from the kids’ play kitchen
Lotto tickets (unless it’s a big winner. No one would turn that down…)
Neked Grandma (if you watched the link above, you’ll get it)

Random items that no one in their right mind knows what to do with: You’re feeding the hungry, not cleaning out your fridge. Most food shelves have a set assortment that they give to each person who comes to them (cereal, canned fruit/veggies, dinner mix, etc.). Your random jar of pickled pig’s feet gets tossed in a bin of extras they can pick through, and most likely ends up in the dumpster when it expires, unclaimed. I understand that giving away what you can’t or won’t use is better than throwing it out, and someone out there may like pickled pig’s feet and be grateful for them. I’m not saying you should only stick to the stuff on the MOST WANTED LIST, but there is something condescending about using the food shelf as your trash can, giving only the junk you don’t want. Loving the hungry is about being thoughtful and intentional, not about brushing off your crumbs on the “little people.”

Expired food items: Yes, canned goods are “non-perishable.” No, they’re not really eternal. Many canned foods have an expiration date and past that date their safety and flavor may be compromised. Food banks cannot hand out expired food, and furthermore they have to pay someone (if they don’t have volunteers on the job) to sort through donations, checking expiration dates, shelving the useful, and disposing of the expired or damaged items. The human resource is an expensive one, don’t waste it.

*Also, understand the difference between a sell by or best by date and an expiration date. Manufacturers put the sell by/best by date on goods for the stores’ inventory process (and as a bonus to their sales numbers, it tricks many of us into throwing away perfectly good items and then repurchasing them.). The expiration date is a safety issue. Botulism is a potentially life-threatening, tasteless, odorless toxin that can grow in canned goods and isn’t killed by cooking the food. It’s not something to mess around with.

Home canned goods: Food shelves don’t accept home canned goods for the same reason they don’t take expired items – they just don’t know about the quality and safety. Home canned items don’t have an expiration date, they’re not labeled for nutrition and ingredients (read: possible allergens), and they’re easily contaminated by preparation in the same kitchen where you cook with flour, soy, nuts, and other common allergens that, even in tiny amounts, cling to jars from the same kitchen. If you garden and can like I do, use your bounty to cut your own grocery bill, freeing up money you can donate to the food shelf. If you have a bumper crop, share the wealth with family, friends, and neighbors. Offer them a jar of your spectacular preserves in exchange for a non-perishable item for the food shelf.

*Likewise, food shelves can’t take items without their labels. They need to know what’s in that can and when it expires. They also cannot accept cans that are significantly damaged. A dent, sure, but open packaging and cans with busted seams have to be tossed.

Over-the-counter (or prescription) medications: Food shelves are simply not equipped to deal with this sort of thing. Plus, some over-the-counter meds are ingredients in meth, so having them around is an added security issue for the food bank (that’s why some things are locked up at the pharmacy or stored behind the counter). There are other non-food items that many food shelves will accept such as diapers, baby wipes, feminine hygiene products, and personal hygiene items like soap and deodorant.

I am thankful for each and every person who gives from their comfort or their poverty to help another. From a dented can of corn to a million dollar check, every single gift is precious in God’s eyes and important in the fight against hunger. The point of this post is not to put a damper on anyone’s giving, but just to give you information on what to expect and why some gifts have to be turned down. It’s not that they’re ungrateful; the food banks’ policies and procedures are in place to protect them and their clients. When in doubt, ask. Food shelves are happy to answer your questions about donations.

Top 8 Things Food Shelves/Food Banks NEED

November 19, 2014ResourcesKarah Hawkinson

The holiday season is here, and with it comes a number of food, clothing, and gift drives for people in need. How can we be sure that our donations are making a positive impact? We need to know what the food shelves really need.

I got this list from my pastor and have added some information about the why behind things or ways that we can be sure our donations do the most good. Riverdale Church partners with a couple of local elementary schools to provide food that kids in need can take home over long weekends and holiday breaks. When families depend on the school lunch program to get regular meals for their kids, those days off can be a huge challenge. These are the things that the schools want to put into the hands of their students.

1. Canned tuna -many people who struggle financially end up protein deficient because, as we all know, meat is expensive. Canned tuna is a shelf stable and relatively inexpensive source of protein.

2. Tuna helper – boxed dinners in general are in demand, but tuna helper is specified by the schools for the same reason. Many box meals require you to add the protein componant, and tuna is the most affordable.

3. Jars of spaghetti sauce -some food shelves don’t want glass containers, so it may be better to buy sauce in cans. They don’t break, and as a bonus, they tend to be cheaper.

4. Spaghetti noodles -whole grain pasta is more nutritious, but both white and wheat spaghetti are appreciated.

5. Canned veggies -think low sodium. People who live on inexpensive canned and pre-packaged foods eat far too much salt.

6. Cans of soup -again, low sodium is a bonus, as are veggie filled varieties. This includes canned stews and chilis, as well as condensed and ready-to-eat soups.

7. 1 lb. bags of rice -we all know it’s cheaper to buy in bulk on things like rice, but food shelves don’t have the ability to open packages and break them down into smaller packages to distribute. It’s better to stick with the 1 lb. size for donating.

8. Boxes of cereal -anyone who has raised kids knows that they can really put away the cereal! Aim for lower sugar varieties that provide nutrients and fiber.

That’s the list we got from the schools. There are other valuable things you can give that didn’t make their list but which do frequently make the wish lists of other food banks.

– canned fruit (other than pineapple – think peaches, pears, or apple sauce)

-mac and cheese and other boxed dinners

-peanut butter (some may not accept PB anymore because peanut allergies are so common, but it is another cheap source of protein. When in doubt, ask)

-beans (dry or canned)

-pancake mix

Remember that EVERYTHING you donate must be non-perishable (shelf stable) and in its original, unopened packaging.

Another option is to donate money instead of non-perishable food items. Food banks have buying power as a result of their super sized orders as well as the corporate generosity of retailers. What you can get for $10 and what a food shelf can do with $10 is very different!

Here is a printable I made as a reminder of the biggest needs, feel free to print and share: