Scribble Live
Published
Last updated
0 comments
So, you want to give back? What to know and where to start
Non-profit pro Terry Smith, CEO of philanthropic.ca, takes your questions on getting the best bang for your buck
- Welcome to the live discussion - part of the Globe's in-depth series on philanthropy (for the entire series, click HERE.)
Non-profit expert Terry Smith is here with us live
- Hello everyone. I am pleased to be here to help you with your questions on giving.
Philanthropic.ca helps donors find their passions, identify the right charity and evaluate their impact. I look forward to your questions - Hi there, What's your advice on making donations instead of giving holiday gifts? How can I broach the subject? And any thoughts on charities that would have wide appeal?
- Donations are always a great idea. Ask your family members how they feel about donating and if you get consensus, then choose a charity that you all can relate to.
It is difficult to indicate specific charities so I would focus on ones that may have some meaning for your family. - i tried to do that last year with my family - most were on board but some of the aunts still wanted to do gifts as well. i can't afford both - how would you handle? (we just ended up not donating to haiti, which made me feel like a grinch)
- Families are like that! Perhaps donate a smaller amount and still give the aunts their gifts. There are local organizations that may be of interest- the local food bank, local shelter- you could donate your time, it is just as valuable as your money.
- I was wondering if even though I may not have a lot to give if it will still make a difference and how do I decide who to give to?
- Any amount will make a difference. If you are not sure, look around your neighbourhood, are there groups that could use your help.
Check out Free the Children's website for example, they have lots of ideas on giving that make a big difference, or Kiva, where you can lend $25. and help someone's business - I support a number of causes, but have a problem knowing that my/our donations are getting to where we want them directed to. Do you have any suggestions on strategies to ensure your donation is getting to where you want would like to see it invested. This is one of the reasons I stay away from big organizations/NGO's/etc..
- Is there a directory of Canadian charities the public can access?
- Absolutely! You can actually ask the charity to use your funds to support a specific program or activity. Then if it is local, you can visit and see your dollars at work, or ask them for a report.
You can ask -how many people attended the breakfast club? How may children were served? etc - Yes- the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is the directory! Now it has over 85,000 charities but you can search each one, it notes the program area and their annual expenditures
- @Jameson There is! Check out our resources for giving HERE (there you'll find the searchable government listing of all Canadian charities and more
- i am a 60 year old woman living in a small town in ontario. i volunteer twice a week at the hospital across the street, but i am also looking for a fulltime job - i'm busy, but i feel like i'd like to do more. money is just so tight. what are your suggestions?
- If you are willing to do more, you may wish to see what other areas within your community you may get involved in. Whether it is making a few calls from your home in the evening for an organization or looking for auction items for a fund raiser for the hospital. Every bit helps
- Has charitable giving gone up or down in recent years in Canada?
- It has aqctually gone down, with only 23% of Canadians claiming a tax credit in the most recent Stats Can statistices. You can see more info on the Globe's Giving in Numbers
- Here's our big feature highlighting all the data we've found on the shift in giving: Giving by the numbers
- what is the average wealth (or annual donation) or your clients ? I am trying to get a feel for you target group and expertise
- The annual donations by my clients tend to be from $200,000 and up, however, I do often help families who are just starting a foundation or help a donor do a search for a specific charity who may be giving much smaller amounts but need some help.
- What advice would you give to someone who wants to give, but is overwhelmed by the sheer number of different organizations and causes out there? How can we sort between the good and bad apples?
- Most charities are really doing good and it is only really a few that are the bad apples. Get to know the charity. See if the charity has a website, or if nearby, go and visit it to see what it is actually doing.
- You can also ask friends and colleagues about what charities they support. A google search is also good and check out the CRA website to make sure they are indeed in good standing with the CRA.
- You should also think about what is important to you - what stirs you up- are you concerned about the environment, our education system, poverty, the local food bank or do you love your local theatre or art gallery and would like to help them out. Always start from what is of interest to you
- @Mimi We've got a great quiz set up to help you identify which kind of volunteer you are, where your interests lie and then match you with opportunities in your area.. Check it out here
- I will retire between 50-55 yrs old, from a larger commercial management role. I want to start learning new skills/courses that will position my retirement to serve on boards, or lead not--for-profit organizations. Problem #1: we here of causes needing mgt leaders/experience, but is there a central location for sr mgt opportunities as volunteers (or comparatively underpaid) roles ? Problem #2: what courses/trg do you recommend to transition from industry ? Problem #3: Is "fundraising" really such a large part of all the sr roles ?
- Big questions, you can check CharityVillage as a source. They have a huge jobposting area and lots of information on charities so that is a good start. Imagine Canada is also a good source for identifying information sources. CRA also has webinars you can log onto.
There are other sources - There are other sources, that I will post in a minute when I find the names.
- Fund raising is indeed a big part of many charities roles these days with government funds reducing, however not all positions are fund raising so it is worth taking a look at some of the charities to see what other positions they have- adminstration, bookkeeping, communication, programming etc.
- Here is a link to a series of seminars on charitable giving that will give you an introduction to charities management :http://ow.ly/6xnJu
- The Institute of Corporate Directors also has a course for those wishing to sit on a not for profit board: www.icd.ca
- excellent links thanks ! recent CRA rulings that Directors can be personally liable for withholding etc taxes if they fail to shut down ops (commercial due diligence) is a scary turn of events for the heart-driven groups.
- Imagine Canada has an event in Ottawa soon ($500), should individuals preparing to leap/transition attend ? Or is it mostly an umbrella group that helps the various charities ? Yes CRA tends to be the source of truth and they webinars are useful
- Being on a board does have its responsibilities but if the organization is well run and the board is responsible, you should have a great experience.
- Terry - I know you deal with many wealthy clients in your day to day, but many questions coming in from struggling parents. What's your advice for families that aren't so fortunate? How do parents instill a sense of volunteerism and generosity into their kids, when they might not have the money themselves to give?
- I've had children knock on my door to raise money for various charities. How do I know if they are legitimately working for a charity? Can I ask to see some type of documentation to verify it? It's hard to say no to a kid!
- I am aware of the Imagine Canada session. I would check into it more thoroughly to make sure this is a session that you can fully participate it before you sign up.
- Having previously lived abroad in a CIDA-ish mission/task for 2 yrs, with some UN insight, it was sad to see "misguided good intentions" (mismanagement would be too harsh, but these were not business majors obviously)
. When choosing a group (volunteer or employee or board member) are there signs that your intuition/expertise notices first ? (positve and neg) - Susan, it is always hard to say no to children, but absolutely ask them for some identification. If you are not comfortable with what they are saying, then I would say no. It is your money, give where you want to give and try not to be pressured into spontaneous giving if you are unsure
- What would be your advice on making a fundraising campaign/ask letter stand out during the Holidays when every other charity seems to be asking for money as well
- MW, it is really hard to generalize but transparency is a big one. If they will not give you information about their charity, it makes one ask why not? Finances are the next area to look at, and then the programs- are they doing what they said they would do? Does that help?
- GR, this is time of year we get overloaded with requests indeed! I would look at the organization/donor and see what they have supported in the past. Really focus your ask on something that they can relate to vs a general letter saying we need more funds, please give- know who you are asking and know their interests
- so, it's movember. my friends grow mustaches and all ask me to give to the cause.. i dislike the whole idea - a) i don't know if it's effective and b) i hate my friends' moustaches.. can i tell them no without being offensive?
- My son has started his mustache as well! I know, it is difficult to say no to your friends, but you can say, great you are doing this, but sorry,I have allocated all my charitable giving for the year, or I focus my giving on xx but I wish you well with your campaign.
- Great tips, Terry. Any final thoughts as we wrap up this discussion?
- I would say find something that really interests you, make sure it is a viable charity, get involved if you can and follow up- make sure your money is actually doing some good. Thank you very much, Terry
- Thanks everyone for participating, and thank you Terry for your expertise.
For more on the changing state of Giving in Canada, check out our in-depth series (which continues this week.)
Be sure to vote in our interactive poll HERE - and plot how your giving has changed over the last five years.
Have a great Tuesday..
