Have you found yourself wondering whether your charitable work is making an impact? Do you wonder whether you are giving to the right organizations?
Meaningful giving should be continually monitored and evaluated to ensure your gifts have the impact you seek and are still aligned with your mission, vision, and passions. We all know things can change. Organizations change direction, leadership, financial capacity, or priorities, donors’ interests evolve, and societal needs and the ecosystem for addressing them shift.
We can help you assess your philanthropic portfolio to ensure that your giving keeps pace with changing circumstances while your charitable goals and gifts stay in sync.
We review with you your charitable priorities; what you care most about, what you want to accomplish with your gifts, and your definition of impact. It is important to revisit the key factors that drive/influence your giving. As we said, things change.
We undertake an audit of the organizations you’ve been supporting to determine if there have been any changes since you first made your gift. Do they still have the capacity and strategic priorities to undertake the initiatives you are funding, or, in the case of general operating funds, how are they doing? Can they stay in business and deliver to their stakeholders? Does the work they are doing still align with your priorities? You may also want to compare them against other organizations undertaking similar work.
We review the terms and conditions of your initial gifts. Given any changes, do you still want to continue funding them? Do you need to adjust the amount of the gift or change direction?
We represent you and your interests in conversations with organizations you support so that the partnership you have established remains healthy and valued by everyone involved. Of course, we always encourage clients to take part in meetings with organizations if desired.
Formally assessing your giving provides the information needed to make thoughtful decisions about your giving. This may affirm what you are currently supporting and give you renewed confidence and excitement in your existing partnerships. Or you may find that refinements to your giving can create opportunities to achieve your goals. You have committed a significant amount of money to address the issues you care deeply about – it’s time to be sure that your investments are creating the impact you seek.
