Donating to a charity, whether it be your time or your money is not always as easy as one would think.  In todays day and age, we may have the tendency to be a cynic, and rightly so.  There are so many scams out there that take advantage of giving souls.

So where does one begin?

First, you need to begin where your passions are.  What things intrigue and motivate you?  What would you contribute your money to and more than that, your time.

Once you have discovered your passion, you can ask your friends and family if they know of a charity that resembles who you are and what you want to donate to.  If you don’t have this as a resource, you will want to start your search online.

Google it!  Type in what kind of charity you are looking to contribute to in your home town, become a slueth, and check them out online.

A great place to start is Network Solutions.

What this does is give you insight into who the person is that created the account, when it was created and how to contact them.  Be sure to do your due diligence.  Check for an offline contact source as well as online (phone, fax and snail mail address)  Here is an example of what this looks like on  my this site.

Or, if this sounds like just too much work, you can always go to Consumer Reports.  There is a bevy of information on different charities who have already had the once-over!

No matter which route you choose to take, our world is a better place, thanks to people just like you!

(As a side note, we contribute to charities like “Make-A-Wish Foundation” “Orangewood Children’s Home” “Habitat for Humanity” just to name a few.  Feel free to check them out yourselves!)