Where should I give?

Where to Give:

Being generous feels really good and has an impact. We have found it extraordinarily satisfying to embrace a small number of causes and get to know nonprofits doing work in areas meaningful to us.

Here are a few issues to consider:

1. What issues do I really care about? There’s really no wrong answer.

2. What change do I want to see in the world? Nonprofits exist to do work. Some advocate; some educate; some innovate; some provide direct aid. Write down a few adjectives that will help you narrow the field.

3. Who else can I involve? You don’t have to do it alone. Draft your spouse; ask your financial planner for help.

4. Now take the plunge. Seriously. Don’t over think it. You’ll not regret being a part of the solution to a big world problem. And if you have the time, get to know the nonprofit and ask how you can help. The more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it.

The size of the general matching pool is $1.175 million, with help from Kathy Kwan, Robin & Court Lorenzini, and Brighton Jones Wealth Management. To shine light on some of the biggest issues of our times, we’ve put an additional $2 million in special matching pools for key areas of need: Racial justice, Climate change, Reproductive health, and Education in underserved communities. When you make donations to nonprofits in any of these categories, they’ll be eligible for a second chance at a match. See the menu for information about each area of need.

Still not sure? Below are three organizations we support financially, operationally, or both. (David is the co-founder and CEO of Worldreader.) They are high-impact organizations that can put your funds to work immediately.