Each year, millions of people across the globe donate their time and money to worthy causes. A desire to make the world a more equitable, safer and healthier place drives such endeavors and enables the efforts of countless nonprofit organizations as they seek to fulfill their missions.

Data from Giving USATM, a public service initiative of the The Giving Institute, indicates that Americans gave roughly $557 billion in 2023, earning the United States the distinction of being the sixth most generous country in the world according to the Charities Aid Foundation’s “World Giving Index 2024” report.

It’s no secret that giving feels good, and those who want to give have a wealth of worthy causes that merit their generosity. Navigating one’s way through those causes and organizations is no small task, but the following are some tips prospective donors can consider as they try to find charities worthy of their generosity.

• Commit to some research. Serious donors recognize just how vital their donations are, and that recognition underscores the importance of researching before donating. Various organizations, such as the BBB Wise Giving Alliance and Charity Navigator, evaluate charitable organizations on a wide range of criteria. The resulting reports that stem from those evaluations do much of the researching legwork for prospective donors. However, as valuable as such reports can be, they can’t make donation decisions for prospective donors. Such decisions rest entirely in the hands of donors, who can utilize reviews of a wide range of organizations (the BBB Wise Giving Alliance has free reviews of roughly 1,300 national charities) to make the most informed donation decisions possible.

• Identify your own prospective role. Charitable donations are often discussed in the context of donating funds, but donors can do more than write checks. Before choosing a charity, identify the role you’d like to play in giving back. If you want to volunteer your time, a locally based nonprofit might have more accessible opportunities than one with a national presence that may not be sponsoring any initiatives close to your home. If you aspire to help children, consider a role as a volunteer instructor with a local park service or a coach with a youth sports league in your community.

• Track current events. Paying attention to current events can inspire generous individuals to do their part to make the world a better place. In addition, local news broadcasts and local newspapers often highlight individuals going above and beyond to help others. Such human interest stories can shed light on worthy causes in your own community that you might not hear about if you avoid local media stories and reports. By staying up-to-date on current events, you might discover local, national or international charitable endeavors that are trying to end conflicts or help those in need overcome challenges.

Strategies to find the right volunteer opportunity

Volunteering is one way to give back to the community, and also for people to give back to themselves. Individuals can reap many benefits from volunteering, including improving self-esteem and building professional relationships. With so much to be said for volunteering, people may wonder how to find the best places to volunteer their time and skills. Finding the right match takes a little bit of effort, and these strategies can further such attempts.

• Focus on your passions. A great place to begin when considering volunteering is to identify causes you are passionate about. Consider your hobbies, social issues that

matter to you and your own professional experience. This process can help narrow down some volunteering options.

• Identify your skills and what you have to offer. Nonprofit groups often seek people who can help them in specific areas. Skills like fundraising, public relations, marketing or event planning are highly valuable within the nonprofit community.

• Try a short-term project. When testing the volunteering waters, it might be best to start small. You can take on a short-term project or commit to a few hours per week. If an opportunity does not seem like the right fit, you can move on to something new relatively easily.

• Determine your availability. Figure out how much time you can realistically commit to an organization. A group that requires daily effort might not be the right fit if you only have a few hours a week to spare.

• Use a volunteer matching service. Resources like VolunteerMatch or All for Good can help you find organizations that align with your interests .

• Seek recommendations from individuals you trust. Talk to friends, colleagues, neighbors or family to ask if they can offer insight about volunteer organizations based on their own experiences.

• Think about your reasons for volunteering. Ponder why you want to get involved in charity work. Some people want to network while others want to gain new experiences. For others, volunteering is a means to getting involved with a charity that supports an effort near to their hearts. Knowing why you want to volunteer can help you narrow down the opportunities.

— By Metro Editorial Services