Real Life with Jennifer Till » charity watch

Giving to Haiti

Jennifer — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:30:51 +0000

I know that many of you want to contribute what you can to support the relief efforts in Haiti. I found these tips from the American Institute of Philanthropy’s (AIP) website, CharityWatch.org, that will help to ensure that the money you donate actually gets to Haiti.

1. Know your charity. Read the mission, make sure that there is a clear description of program accomplishments, and a listing of the Board of Directors. You should know that a .org in the website does not necessarily mean it’s a nonprofit organization. Also, some questionable charities use a name that closely resembles a well respected charity name. If you have any doubts about the organization, check the entity on Internal Revenue Services website and CharityWatch.com or other watchdogs.

2. Make sure that you know where your dollars will go. Ask what percentage of every dollar goes directly to program services. It should be at least 60%, which the AIP rates as a “C” organization. “A” rated organizations are spending 75% of every dollar directly on programs. Building Goodness Foundation, I found out today, spends 88 cents of every dollar on direct program services! A+++ I’d say!

Some AIP A-Rated organizations are: Action Against Hunger, American Red Cross, CARE, Doctors without Borders, Save the Children and Salvation Army. See more on CharityWatch.com.

3. Be certain that you can obtain contact information. email, phone, snail mail address. Make sure that the organization has a physical address within the US.

4. Don’t be enticed by the pathetic sob story.

5. Give safely. Only donate to charity sites that use encryption technology to scramble your personal and credit card info. You can tell it’s secure if there is an “s” after the “http” (https) that precedes the internet address.

6. Give directly. Or if the charity you want to give to does not offer online giving, go to Network for Good or JustGive. Building Goodness Foundation uses Network for Good.

7. Keep paper records. For gifts over $250, the IRS requires you obtain a receipt from the charity for tax purposes.

8. Don’t respond to spam solicitation or pressure to contribute on the spot.

9. Consider giving generously.

http://www.BuildingGoodness.org

http://www.CharityWatch.org

http://www.irs.gov/charities/

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST: http://www.wina.com/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=4328165

Divine Job Description

Jennifer — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:30:47 +0000

As I hope you know, the reason I do Real Life is to help we women with the ongoing challenge of finding balance in our lives, making sure that we’re in alignment with our values and what is most important for us, and experiencing joy. I believe that by increasing our capacity for compassion– first for ourselves, then for those close to us, and ultimately expanding out to those we may not even know personally–as well as being in service to those who need support, love, and caring, our ability to experience joy increases.

At times, events happen in the world that are so large, and unfortunately in this case, so catastrophic, that they simply cannot be excluded from our conversation. I know that many of you want to do something to help the thousands, and now it’s sounding like millions, of people who are so utterly decimated and suffering physically, emotionally and spiritually. I found myself feeling very emotional during my interview with Louise Finger and Kelly Eplee. Perhaps you hear it in my voice…

The immensity of suffering that the devastation in Haiti has unleashed also waters the seed of what it is to be human. As Rumi, the thirteenth century Persian poet wrote, “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”

My experience informs me that our divine job description is: To Be Love enfleshed.To breathe Love. Live Love. Hear with the ears of Love. See with the eyes of Love. And it gets hard. Really hard. Earthquakes destroy life as we know it. Our children stumble. Our parents’ health fails. Not enough money to pay this month’s bills. “It just shouldn’t be this way.” Our challenges, mundane and catastrophic, can, if we allow, serve as the windows through which we can see our barriers. Our resistance to what is happening in this moment is one of our greatest sources of suffering.

I again invite you to take a breath. A single breath. This breath. And as you exhale, send Love and Compassion inward to yourself. And now, with this breath and this exhalation, Love and Compassion to those who are dear to you. And now with this breath, Love and Compassion to those who challenge you. And with this breath, Love and Compassion to those who are terrified and suffering in Haiti.

And thank you for doing such great work with your job description!