#InformedGiving Tuesday

We love the #GivingTuesday movement, encouraging everyone to find a way to give on Tuesday, December 3 and share their acts of giving with others.

And here in Southwest Florida, we have even more to love, since donors, funders and citizen philanthropists are empowered to make informed choices about their giving.

Thanks to GuideStar, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, The Patterson Foundation, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Manatee Community Foundation, and more than 350 nonprofit organizations serving Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and Desoto counties that have brought The Giving Partner to life, people who want to make a difference have access to in-depth knowledge about local organizations on one online platform.

Many times, giving is an emotional decision–a choice we make based on a connection to a story, to a trusted individual sharing a compelling story, or to an issue we have experienced first hand.

We may not know what other organizations are addressing the mission we want to support. We may not know the right questions to ask. And sometimes, we may not feel as if we are in a position to ask them.

The Giving Partner allows us to better understand what organizations are impacting the populations we care most deeply about while also discovering who is making the work happen, what success measures are in place, how the financial history is recorded, and what needs the organization has.

In philanthropy, we can give to feel good and give based on good information.

So on today’s special day, #GivingTuesday, we encourage you to visit www.thegivingpartner.org, use the advanced search feature, enter a keyword, and discover the nonprofits in our community addressing the specific missions important to you.

Click on one of the nonprofit profiles returned in your search results.  You can:

• Access the organization’s website, Facebook page and Twitter feeds
• Discover the organization’s top 5 needs
• Understand the variety of programs & services offered, along with long and short-term successes
• Find out who is leading the organization on the board and staff
• Understand how engaged the board is through meeting attendance and personal giving
• Discover how strategic the organization is with written, board-adopted plans and policies
• Review the 3-year financial history of the organization

Don’t let your adventure end there. Use your new knowledge to engage with the organization and determine if it is a good fit for you.

Organizations that have taken the time to develop profiles in The Giving Partner have made an incredible investment in public awareness through transparency.

Accessing this tool, filled with so much rich information, donors will make an investment in what is most important to them.  Understanding all of the choices for giving, we become more empowered to make decisions that most closely reflect our personal values, commitments to excellence, and the ultimate good we would like to see with our charitable investments.

Happy #GivingTuesday!  Happy #InformedGiving Tuesday!

We remain grateful for so many excellent local nonprofits, working hard every day to make positive changes in our community.

-Susie Bowie
Community Foundation of Sarasota County