Counting Blessings and Bestowing What We Can

Thoughts for donors this Thanksgiving season from Inspired Legacies:

   Here are 8 things you can do to have more impact:

1. Sit down with your advisor and family to rework your plans. It's a great time to transfer low valued assets to your heirs and update your estate plans. Don't forget your 3-5 favorite charities! There is so much advisors can help with now. This is a key time to get in sync.
2. If you have lost 10-50%, give less but also waste less. Give 10-40% less but keep giving so you stay connected and hopeful. You may find in saving more you can give more.
3. Let organizations and leaders know if you will be supporting them: how much and when. Thus they can plan and not lay off staff or move offices unnecessarily. Or let them know asap if you will NOT be funding if you have been giving at $500+ so they can focus attention on who can give.
4. If you have or are part of a family foundation, consider giving more from principle now instead of giving only 4-5% of income. What if you considered not having a foundation that lasts forever, but move your money now, when it's truly needed. Consider it.
5. Volunteer more and get more skilled as a donor, a donor partner and a board member. (We will be training more donor partners in 2009, so let us know if you want more training.)
6. Name the leaders and organizations that you know you must keep supporting with your time, talent or treasure and figure out how (use this worksheet to think it through.)
7. Fund community loan funds so you can get interest while helping others. To find places that will cherish your money and put it to work, like RSF Finances or Northern California Community Loan Fund, or Shorebank that pay 1-3% interest on your money while the lend it carefully to community based organizations (and have remarkable success as does micro finance at their loan success.) just Google your state, and loan fund or see the National Community Redevelopment Association (link below for some 600 listings) http://www.ncrc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=57&Itemid=121 and even better, The Social Investment Forum through Co-Op America.
8. And lastly remember, we will get through this. We are on the edge of a new paradigm. We are part of building a new weave, a new culture and a new way. We have to nurture and help each other and those in greatest need to get through it. Have faith and be part of the solution by rethinking and changing how you spend, save, work, love, give and lead. Could you make a change to help others be more sustainable or to live with dignity? If so, do it now.

Comments

[Sarah Ewing]

Thanks for the great investment tips, Phil. There are so many ways that you can still maximize your finances and continue to give to others. As ShoreBank's Online Channel manager, I wanted to add on to your wonderful ShoreBank mention and say that we offer an online high yield savings account at 3.50% *APY at shorebankdirect.sbk.com for all those who might interested in helping others while maximizing your finances this holiday season and who are not in our primary markets. Happy holidays and happy financing!

[Phil Cubeta]

Actually, for the record, I do not give investment advice, or make recommendations. The piece quoted above is taken from Tracy Gary at Inspired Legacies.