A lot of us begin our financial transformations with a fear- or scarcity-based money mentality. We believe deep in the back of our lizard brains that there won’t be enough for us, and so we’re making all of our decisions with that in mind.

Generosity tells us a different story: “I have enough – even enough to share.”

Even if you’re starting with single digit — heck, single dollar — generosity, it’s going to start that mindset shift. Giving when you’re still working to get out of debt or reach another money goal is a particularly hopeful gesture that you believe you will have enough to do both things that matter to you.

Generosity also tells us “I have power” — specifically, “I have money power.” If you see something heartwrenching or inspiring on the news or social media, or if there’s a cause that’s near and dear to your heart, wouldn’t you like to be able to do something about it? And wouldn’t you like to be able to do something without stressing about your account balance after the fact? So let’s get intentional.

Giving strategies vary by household, issue, and affected community, and the more money you consider giving, the more research you’ll want to do. Whether you are giving to a major international nonprofit or sending funds to a tiny mutual aid effort, the investigative approach is similar: get as much publicly available information as you can, leverage your trusted network for vetting, and — where appropriate — reach out directly and engage with real people:

• If you consider supporting an established nonprofit, sites like Guidestar and Charity Navigator offer analysis about things like financial transparency, leadership, accountability, and impact. It’s also worth spending some time on an organization’s website and looking for news writeups to see the kind of press they get when they’re not the ones writing the story. 
• You can also contact an organization directly, and request information or even a tour. Most development (a.k.a. fundraising) officers are genuinely compassionate, enthusiastic people who will be only too excited to talk with you if you reach out with a call or an email. Their job is to find prospective donors and persuade them to give. If you’re approaching them, you’ve done half their job already! Ask about their major high-profile/public donors and their history as an organization. Ask if they have any donors, volunteers, or beneficiaries who have offered testimonials or who would be willing to share their thoughts with you.
• You can also sign up to be a volunteer yourself, which I highly recommend as an excellent way to get a feel for how an organization operates. 

Here is a small and incomplete list of Charlotte/NC organizations that we admire and have personally supported. If you are looking to support nonprofits in the Charlotte area with your time and/or money, this is an AWESOME place to start!

• Roof Above: working to end homelessness in Charlotte with a spectrum of services and housing programs.
• Catherine’s House: a Charlotte-area organization that serves women and children facing homelessness through safe housing and supportive services that build self-sufficiency.
• Wheels4Hope: provides affordable, reliable transportation to economically vulnerable families and individuals in North Carolina.
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina: education, advocacy, and partnerships to eliminate hunger by the solicitation and distribution of food.
• Loaves & Fishes: providing groceries for neighbors in need at pantries located throughout Mecklenburg County. 
• Digi-Bridge: supporting STEAM education and technology in Charlotte’s learning environment, ensuring that all 21st century learners have opportunities to succeed in the digital age.
• Classroom Central: equips students in need at over 200 Charlotte-area schools to effectively learn by collecting and distributing free school supplies to their teachers.
• Common Wealth Charlotte: equipping Charlotte’s economically-vulnerable population with trauma-informed education, certified financial counseling, asset- and wealth-building skills, and access to banking services and 0% interest loans. 
• YWCA Central Carolinas: eliminating racism, empowering women, providing transitional housing, supporting childhood literacy, offering racial justice and advocacy events.
• Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation: libraries are inherently amazing, and many libraries have charitable foundations that allow you to support their efforts to provide free and open access to information in your community. 

If you have other organizations that you would like to suggest for this list, let me know!

Here are some other tips to develop and sustain a consistent generosity practice: 

• Commit to a target that fits your wallet and your heart. Find an amount that feels meaningful and manageable. Build that amount into your monthly spending plan, and commit to honoring it. 
• Focus your impact. I’m personally a big fan of staying generally focused on a particular area or two, at least for some period of time, and supporting the same cluster of organizations for a few years. (Moving on every 3-5 years or so is considered normal donor behavior, by the way, so don’t feel bad if you shift your focus.)
  • Pick a main cause (or two, or three) that are central to your values and interests, and investigate enough to feel confident about what and how you choose to support. For us, it was really meaningful to invest in our local community. It helped us feel more connected to Charlotte when we were new here, and it’s helped us learn about our community’s needs and concerns. I like the idea of making a big difference (even in a smaller pond) instead of diluting our impact. It’s motivating, especially when we’re emotionally invested in the outcome.
  • You can focus your impact anywhere: where you grew up or live, a place far away that has a hold on your heart, a specific philosophy or spiritual practice, a beneficiary population (like wounded veterans), a cause (animal welfare), research into a particular issue (like pancreatic cancer), or organizations with a specific way to approach a problem that matters to you (like self-sufficiency-building programs). It doesn’t matter as much how you focus, just that your focus matters to you in a way that keeps you engaged.
• Leave room for spontaneity. I know, I just talked a lot about consistent, meaningful, focused impact. But when something terrible happens out there in the world and you feel powerless, or when something beautiful is happening that you want to be involved in, there is something to be said for being able to open your wallet and take action. Leave your giving strategy enough room to respond if inspiration comes a-knockin’. 
• Track your giving. If you use a budgeting app, this will be way easier; otherwise, you’ll need to do it manually with your spreadsheet or written spending plan. One reason for this is so that you can submit all applicable documentation at tax time if you and your donations qualify for itemized deductions. Another is so you can keep a big-picture sense of what you’ve done. Also, if your employer offers donation matching, tracking your philanthropy is a good reminder to make sure you apply for those matching funds!