Give for the Right Reasons

It's easy to think about giving to charities at the end of the year. After all, that’s when so many contact you about giving money.

For entrepreneurs, however, charity opportunities present themselves throughout the year. Of course you'd love to give lots of money and time to help the less fortunate. The reality, however, is that you have to make choices.

As the calls for help pour in, it's important to prioritize and to have steps in place to make decisions easier to make.

Step 1: Determine What You're Passionate About
This is the most important step. Entrepreneurs often get involved in a hot charity because of its potential to connect them with bigwigs. Mistake. The problem is that they have no emotional connection to the charity, so it becomes a business activity when it ought to be a giving activity. This will ultimately hurt you and the charity.

For some entrepreneurs, it's easy to identify a cause they are passionate about. Perhaps a family member died of breast cancer or is affected by autism. Others have to consider their passions carefully. Perhaps they love animals or feel strongly about education.

Step 2: Decide how you want to be involved
Helping a charity involves giving either time or money. Happily, both are welcome. The key is to determine realistically how much money or time you can devote to a cause.

If you want to donate your time, consider the following:

• Volunteer for administrative activities.
• Volunteer with the people or animals that the charity helps.
• Serve on a committee.
• Serve on the board of directors.
• Help organize and participate in events.
• Participate in fundraising efforts.

There is more than one way to donate money, too:

• Sponsor an event, a team or a program.
• Donate money occasionally or monthly.
• Donate a portion of your sales.
• Donate your products and/or services.

Step 3: Determine what charity to be involved with
There are charities to match every interest. You can identify charities through a Google search, or look at charity websites such as Charity Navigator. Of course, you can also ask friends and colleagues.

Many entrepreneurs prefer to be involved in charities in their local areas. You might find that several local charities interest you. In that case, set up a meeting with the executive director to learn more about the charity, its needs and what you can offer.

Such meetings give you an opportunity to see how well you connect with each charity's director. While you'll probably work with many others involved in the charity, a good relationship with the executive director is critical to making sure your involvement works for the charity and for you.

As entrepreneurs, we are fortunate to be able to help our communities. By identifying the right charities for our involvement, we create a win for everyone.