You don’t have to have children yourself to feel absolutely heartbroken when you hear about kids who are suffering from horrible illnesses. It can often leave you feeling helpless and thinking you wish there was something, even some small thing that you could do to help. This is exactly what drives so many people to make a charitable donation to a children’s foundation or charity.
If you’ve decided that you’d like to make a donation but you don’t know which foundation or charity to support, here are some tips that can help you narrow down the options.
Pick an Illness That You Have a Personal Connection With
One of the simplest ways to pick a cause to support is to pick an illness that has touched you, a family member, or close friend. Not only will you be honoring that person’s plight but you will be helping children who have found themselves in the same position. It can help you feel a bit more in control of how that illness affected either your life or the person who suffered/is suffering from it.
Does the Charity Need Your Money?
It's normal to assume that all charities need money, but in reality, some are doing much better than others. Some have done an excellent job promoting their cause, proving they spend their money well and are smart with their resources, and have basically created a brand for themselves.
While this doesn't mean they are undeserving of your donation, it does mean that they probably aren't in as much need as smaller, lesser-known charities. Your money may end up making more of a difference with another charity.
Research How the Funds are Being Used
When you make a donation to a charity, you want to know that it’s going towards a good cause and will be used wisely. This is exactly why it’s important to look at how the charity spends the funds. Some charities will use funds to help finance the cost of research, such as the highly-respected pediatric cancer research grants, whereas other charities may be using the funds to either purchase items for the child with an illness or provide them with a special experience such as the Make a Wish Fund.
It’s up to you to decide how you’d like to see your funds used and pick the charity that best matches your own wishes.
Ask Whether the Charity is Registered
Another important step before you make a donation is to ask whether or not the charity is registered. If it is a legitimate charity then it should appear on the Internal Revenue Service's list of organizations that are registered as charities. This will ensure you're not making a donation to a scam charity.
A Donation You Can Feel Good About
Taking the time to do your research and giving thought to which charity you want to support will help ensure that your donation is not only appreciated and used wisely but also that you feel good about the cause you are supporting.
