{"id":237,"date":"2019-10-07T03:12:11","date_gmt":"2019-10-07T03:12:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/?p=237"},"modified":"2019-12-31T00:01:28","modified_gmt":"2019-12-31T00:01:28","slug":"practical-donating-part-3-how-to-choose-a-charity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/2019\/10\/practical-donating-part-3-how-to-choose-a-charity\/","title":{"rendered":"Practical donating part 3 \u2013 how to choose a charity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Welcome to our five-part series on how to\ndecide where to donate effectively. We\u2019re going to go on an in-depth journey\nthrough the psychology of donations, the best ways to tell whether a charity is\ngood at what they do, and how to actually give most effectively. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/2019\/01\/practical-donating-part-1-what-drives-donations\/\">What drives donations<\/a><\/em><\/li><li><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/2019\/02\/practical-donating-part-2-choosing-a-cause\/\">Choosing a cause to support<\/a><\/em><\/li><li><strong>Good ways to choose a charity<\/strong><\/li><li><em>Bad ways to assess charities<\/em><\/li><li><em>The best ways to give<\/em><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Give if you want to<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>What we are\nabout to outline is an intensely rigorous approach to choosing which charity to\ndonate to. Realistically, it is a lot of work. So let me lead with a simple\nmaxim \u2013 you should give to a charity if you want to. If a friend of yours asks\nfor a donation because they\u2019re running a marathon backwards or something and\nyou want to support them, don\u2019t let this article hold you back. Donate to the\ncause and enjoy doing so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why would I\nsay this, when the entire point of this series is to teach you how to be more\neffective and thoughtful in your donations?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I say it\nbecause no matter which charity you donate to, your donation will likely do\nsome good. Not only will you feel happier after donating, you will certainly do\nmore good for the world than if you spend the money on, say, biscuits. Some\ncharities will do more good than others, for sure. But they will all do more\ngood than you spending the money on yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This guide\nis to help you decide how to decide between charity A and charity B. But if\nit\u2019s a choice between giving to charity A and buying some biscuits, just give.\nThe last thing I want is for anyone to read this article and donate less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A simple maxim<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m a big\nfan of <a href=\"https:\/\/michaelpollan.com\/reviews\/how-to-eat\/\">Michael Pollan\u2019s\nfood rules<\/a> (eat food, not too much, mostly plants). They\u2019re a simple\nsummary of some complex ideas. So, in that vein, here are some rules for\ndonations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Donate\nto charities.<\/li><li>Not\nbased on ratios,<\/li><li>But\non if they measure their impact.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s explore each of these in turn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do not pass go<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>But first \u2013\nhave you decided that the cause that you most care about is human poverty? If\nso, I have good news! You don\u2019t need to do any of the following steps, because\nsome amazing organisations have done it already for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Go visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.givewell.org\/charities\/top-charities\">Givewell<\/a>, look at their recommended charities, and you\u2019re set. Givewell have spent a substantial amount of time and effort to identify charities that do amazing work and will mean that your donation will help organisations leading substantial change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Everyone\nelse, let\u2019s get practical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" src=\"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/glenn-carstens-peters-RLw-UC03Gwc-unsplash-1024x681.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-241\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/glenn-carstens-peters-RLw-UC03Gwc-unsplash-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/glenn-carstens-peters-RLw-UC03Gwc-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/glenn-carstens-peters-RLw-UC03Gwc-unsplash-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/glenn-carstens-peters-RLw-UC03Gwc-unsplash-676x450.jpg 676w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/glenn-carstens-peters-RLw-UC03Gwc-unsplash-800x532.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/glenn-carstens-peters-RLw-UC03Gwc-unsplash-1200x798.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption> Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/@glenncarstenspeters?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\">Glenn Carstens-Peters<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/search\/photos\/list?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\">Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Narrowing down to a\nshortlist<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Even once\nyou\u2019ve chosen your cause, a brief Google search or even a look around\nChangePath will reveal a huge number of charities working in that space. So\nbefore we start looking deeply into individual charities, let\u2019s set some broad\nfilters to get down to a shortlist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What size charity are you looking for? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Think about whether your cause benefits from scale. For some causes, it can be sensible to donate to larger charities as they have the resources to make an impact. Medical research is like this \u2013 it costs at least $100,000 to fund a single research project, and grants often run into the millions of dollars. Smaller charities can be stuck in a situation where they can\u2019t fund research at all. Whereas there are other causes where being small is good \u2013 for instance a cause focused on a local area or cultural group. Being small can provide focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What should the charity\ndo?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>How do you\nwish to affect your cause? Causes can be affected in myriad different ways.\nTake heart disease for example \u2013 one charity might focus on prevention, helping\nto educate school kids and make sure they do exercise. Another might focus on\nmedical research, hoping to save lives in future. Both are entirely valid ways\nfor a charity to spend its efforts, and it\u2019s up to you which you would prefer.\nThis may come back to your preference for helping people now vs later, which we\ndiscussed last post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Make sure it&#8217;s a charity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>First, you\nshould do some basic due diligence. Check that the charity is registered with\nthe ACNC. If it isn\u2019t, it isn\u2019t a charity. It\u2019s also worth checking that it is\nup-to-date on its reporting to the ACNC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though,\nimportantly, being registered as a charity doesn\u2019t automatically mean it is tax\ndeductible. You will need to check the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.abr.business.gov.au\/\">ATO ABN lookup page<\/a> for that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What makes a good charity?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Be warned,\nthere is no easy answer. Finding a good charity is more than star ratings.\nThere are a lot of very difficult questions to investigate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that\nyou\u2019ve chosen a cause, you want to find an organisation that will make the\nbiggest impact on that cause. So how do you tell if an organisation will have an\nimpact?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/chris-liverani-552652-unsplash-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-242\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/chris-liverani-552652-unsplash-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/chris-liverani-552652-unsplash-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/chris-liverani-552652-unsplash-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/chris-liverani-552652-unsplash-676x507.jpg 676w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/chris-liverani-552652-unsplash-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/chris-liverani-552652-unsplash-1200x900.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption> Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/dBI_My696Rk?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\">Chris Liverani<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\">Unsplash<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Checking the evidence base<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The first\nway to identify a good charity is by the evidence base behind what it does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why is that\nimportant? Let\u2019s take an example &#8211; a charity that wants to reduce the number of\npeople that binge drink. They decide that one of the ways that they can do that\nis by putting up posters in bars talking about the evils of binge drinking. To\ntry and get additional funding for their \u2018posters in bars\u2019 program, the charity\nruns a trial. They want to see how effective it is. So they run an experiment,\nwhere they test how much people drink in bars with and without the posters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a\nreal study, done by the Drinkaware Trust in the UK. What they found was that\nhaving the posters up in a bar didn\u2019t mean people drank less. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They drank <strong>more.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why? The study [act_tooltip title='(1)&#8217; content=&#8217; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lsbu.ac.uk\/stories\/research-helping-stop-binge-drinking\">https:\/\/www.lsbu.ac.uk\/stories\/research-helping-stop-binge-drinking<\/a>&#8216;] doesn\u2019t say. Perhaps people are just naturally belligerent. Maybe talking about binge drinking is a prompt to do so. Regardless, it goes to show that what you would assume is a normal, straightforward intervention just doesn\u2019t work. As it turns out, changing human behaviour is difficult. Really difficult. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another,\nmore famous example is the Scared Straight initiative in the US. They took\n\u2018bad\u2019 kids, took them to prisons, and showed them how terrible it was. The idea\nwas to make them too afraid to commit crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The effect was the opposite \u2013 kids that went on the program committed more crimes than equivalent kids that didn\u2019t.  [act_tooltip title='(2)&#8217; content=&#8217; <a href=\"https:\/\/psychcentral.com\/blog\/scared-straight-not-really\/\">https:\/\/psychcentral.com\/blog\/scared-straight-not-really\/<\/a>&#8216;]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, one meta-study found that 90% of studied educational interventions either had a weak effect or none at all.  [act_tooltip title='(3)&#8217; content=&#8217; <a href=\"https:\/\/80000hours.org\/articles\/effective-social-program\/\">ttps:\/\/80000hours.org\/articles\/effective-social-program\/<\/a> &#8216;] As it turns out, we are very bad at predicting what works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is why\nevidence is so important. The absolute gold standard for charity evidence is\nthe randomised controlled trial, which attempts to test the intervention by\nholding all other factors equal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If a\ncharity is running a program that has been scientifically proven to be\neffective, you are much more likely to create impact by donating to them than\nyou are to a charity whose interventions are untested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Evidence isn\u2019t everything<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course,\nthe same reason that many interventions don\u2019t work is also a reason to be\ncautious about how to interpret these studies. Humans are complex. Randomised controlled\ntrials work off the assumption that the two groups are the same except for the\nintervention. Not only is that a big assumption, in order to get groups that\nare vaguely the same you need to exclude complex cases. There are also good\narguments that an over-emphasis on evidence privileges certain western forms of\nthinking and makes it harder for Indigenous charities or methods to be funded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s\nalso the fact that running trials is exceptionally expensive. Running a full\ntrial can cost millions of dollars in some cases. So there\u2019s a lot of charity\nwork that doesn\u2019t have an evidence base because there isn\u2019t the money to invest\nin it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s\nmore, reliance on evidence means that you\u2019re ignoring new and innovative\ntechniques. It\u2019s entirely possible that the best ways of solving a problem are\nnot the ones that we already have \u2013 instead we should be investing in new\ninterventions or doing more research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally,\nthere are causes where requiring evidence doesn\u2019t make a lot of sense, like the\narts \u2013 imagine an evidence-based ballet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So if\nproven programs aren\u2019t always a reliable way of telling whether a charity is\nany good, what should we use instead?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"970\" height=\"725\" src=\"http:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/photo-1446329360995-b4642a139973.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-249\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/photo-1446329360995-b4642a139973.jpg 970w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/photo-1446329360995-b4642a139973-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/photo-1446329360995-b4642a139973-768x574.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/photo-1446329360995-b4642a139973-676x505.jpg 676w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/photo-1446329360995-b4642a139973-800x598.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px\" \/><figcaption> Photo by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/@djmalecki?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\">Dawid Ma?ecki<\/a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\">Unsplash<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Measurement and evaluation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As we\noutlined above, our instincts about what works and what doesn\u2019t are often\nwrong. This makes it essential that charities measure and evaluate their own\nprograms to make sure that they are actually accomplishing anything. Put\nsimply, if a charity doesn\u2019t measure what it does, it doesn\u2019t know if it works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike with\ncorporates, there\u2019s no obvious measure of how good a charity is or how\neffective it\u2019s being. If you\u2019re a business, you can tell whether you\u2019re making\nsomething that people want by how many people want to buy it or how much money\nyou\u2019re making. Measuring the effect of a homelessness program, for example, is\nfar more difficult \u2013 you need to invest in figuring out what the short and long\nterm outcomes are. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately,\nmeasurement and evaluation isn\u2019t particularly exciting. Many charities skimp on\nit because they figure the money is better spent on actually helping people,\nbecause they \u2018already know\u2019 the program works. Donors, too, are often sceptical\n\u2013 measurement falls into the dreaded bucket of overhead that people get wrongly\nangry about (more on that in the next article).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet a\ncharity with the best of intentions can accomplish nothing if it doesn\u2019t\nmeasure what it does. More than that, even if they do have a good program, it\ncan never improve if they don\u2019t identify which aspects work best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So what\nyou\u2019re looking for are charities that have a solid measurement and evaluation\nplan in place \u2013 they can prove they are measuring the short and long term\noutcomes of the work they do. This can be quite difficult to find out, so you\nwill need to read through websites and annual reports. But it\u2019s a very\nimportant predictor of whether your donation will truly have a long-term\nimpact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Core predictors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond\nmeasurement and evaluation, there are a few key indicators of good charity\ngovernance that will increase the likelihood that your donation will be well\nmanaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_window_577434.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-252\" width=\"256\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_window_577434.png 512w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_window_577434-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_window_577434-300x300.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Transparency<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A charity\nthat is transparent is one that gives you all the information you need to make\na decision. It shows they have confidence in the work they do and their\napproach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Look for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Publicly\navailable annual and financial reports<\/li><li>Publicly\nlisted board members<\/li><li>Admitting\nof mistakes<\/li><li>Privacy\npolicy<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_Running_1759963.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-253\" width=\"256\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_Running_1759963.png 512w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_Running_1759963-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_Running_1759963-300x300.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Track record<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While past\nperformance does not always predict future success, a charity that has been\nhistorically poorly managed has more of a burden of proof than one that has\nbeen well managed. Of course, charities that are transparent enough to reveal\ntheir past failures (rather than having them dragged out by the press) are to\nbe lauded as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Look for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Previous\nsuccesses (and failures)<\/li><li>History\nof good measurement and evaluation<\/li><li>History\nof good financial management<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_paperwork_1333676.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-254\" width=\"256\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_paperwork_1333676.png 512w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_paperwork_1333676-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_paperwork_1333676-300x300.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Governance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A\nwell-governed charity has checks and balances to make sure it continues to use\nmoney wisely and keeps the end beneficiary always in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Look for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Board\nindependence \u2013 is the board comprised mostly of staff? Are there representatives\nof the people the organisation is trying to help on the board?<\/li><li>Board\nskills &amp; diversity<\/li><li>ACNC\nreporting \u2013 are they up-to-date?<\/li><li>Audited\nfinancial statements (once the charity is beyond a certain size)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_skills_645079.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-255\" width=\"256\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_skills_645079.png 512w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_skills_645079-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_skills_645079-300x300.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Skills and expertise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Charities\nthat have a strong skill base and a good self-reflective culture are more likely\nto make less mistakes and learn from the mistakes they make. The involvement of\nend beneficiaries is especially important, as without it charities may solve\nfor the wrong problem or not deal with all the relevant issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Look for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Responding\nto success and failure<\/li><li>Self-assessment\nand self-skepticism<\/li><li>Industry\nexperience or lived experience<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_Chess_1169677.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-256\" width=\"256\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_Chess_1169677.png 512w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_Chess_1169677-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_Chess_1169677-300x300.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Strategy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Charities\nshould have a strategy and follow it. This will not only ensure sustainability\nbut also it will also give you a clear idea of where they are hoping to go in\nfuture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Look for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Well-developed\nstrategic plan<\/li><li>Following\nof previous strategic plans<\/li><li>Sustainable\nfundraising strategy<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_Heart_1896599.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-257\" width=\"256\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_Heart_1896599.png 512w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_Heart_1896599-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/noun_Heart_1896599-300x300.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Values<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, a\nstrong set of values can help ensure that a charity is aligned with all its\nstaff and mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Look for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Well-defined\nvalues that match with the aim of the organisation<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Finding good charities<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>You will\nprobably have noticed that none of the metrics above are simple, or easy to\njudge. It takes significant time and effort to assess even a single charity. Surely\nthere is a simple way to find the best charity? Sadly, there isn\u2019t. Changing\nthe world is a difficult, messy exercise, and finding charities where you will\ndefinitely be impactful is hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately,\nthis difficulty means that a lot of people are searching for an easy answer.\nThis has led to some rather terrible metrics being used to decide which charity\nto donate to. That\u2019s a topic for the next article.\n\nAnd how do you actually implement these\nrecommendations in a way that makes sense? Well, that\u2019s a topic for our final\narticle on how to give, which will tie it all together. \n\n<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What we are about to outline is an intensely rigorous approach to choosing which charity to donate to. Realistically, it is a lot of work. So let me lead with a simple maxim \u2013 you should give to a charity if you want to.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":240,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-analysis","category-giving","post-preview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=237"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":280,"href":"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237\/revisions\/280"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/240"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.changepath.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}