5,4,3,2,1…HAPPY NEW YEAR! At the stroke of midnight you emphatically declared your first resolution – to be happy. Then you came up with a list of ways to achieve that. Perhaps it’s to eat healthier, learn a new skill for work, or spend more time being social and less time on social media. As you welcome a new year of hope and possibility, there’s one resolution that will make 2023 your best year yet. Find out why adding charitable giving to your New Year’s resolutions will keep you smiling all year long.

Avoid the February Flop

January 1 is like a day of freshly fallen snow. A clean slate. Then the footprints in the snow start leading you in all different directions. Similarly, when life gets busy it can be difficult to stay on course to achieve your resolutions. In fact, 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February. Don’t despair. We’ve got the secret to success for sticking to your 2023 resolutions – and which one will bring you the most joy.

How To Rock Your New Year’s Resolutions

Most resolutions are self-improvement goals – which are certainly important to your personal and professional growth. However, the tasks leading up to those bigger goals may not be particularly enjoyable or meaningful – which makes it hard to stick to those resolutions. Eliminating sweets after the holidays is easy…until those Valentine candies hit the shelves. Taking a professional development class to get promoted is a great idea … unless it’s for a job that you don’t really like.

The key to rocking your New Year’s resolutions is to take smaller steps toward your bigger goals that are instantly rewarding. If doing something makes you feel good while you do it, you’re more likely to persist (rather than doing something you think will make you feel good in the future.) First, look inward to reflect on which resolutions align with your core values. Then take small, actionable steps each day to do what brings you the most joy. Now, the secret to achieving your very first resolution – to have a happy New Year – is to look outward and do something bigger than yourself.

Charitable Giving Leads to a Happy and Healthy New Year

Research shows that giving back to others makes us happier and improves our overall emotional well-being and physical health. Charitable giving is proven to release endorphins which promotes tranquility and inner peace. It also helps lower blood pressure and reduce stress – similar to the positive results of healthy eating and exercise, but way more fun. Your acts of selflessness will also improve the quality of life for others which is the best part of all. The good news is you don’t need to be wealthy to give back. 

Share a Cup of Kindness for Auld Lang Syne

The “feel-good” benefits of charitable giving are not linked to the amount of money you donate. Volunteering and sharing your time and talents are equally rewarding and cost nothing. You can also tie in another resolution (such as drinking less coffee) and pay forward your monthly Starbucks fund to charity. Even small donations make a big impact.

However, the feel-good factor isn’t attained by simply donating to charity. The true benefits of almsgiving stem from supporting causes that are most meaningful to you and your loved ones. TisBest Philanthropy makes it easy to add charitable giving to your New Year’s resolutions and share the joy of giving with your family, friends, and colleagues. Kindness is contagious. Pass it on with TisBest Charity Gift Cards.

Give the Gift That Feels Good to Give and Receive

TisBest Charity Gift Cards work just like traditional gift cards – with one meaningful exception. You choose the amount and your loved ones pay it forward to their favorite charities. With nearly 2 million charities on TisBest.org, card recipients can choose from our featured categories or quickly search for their favorite local or national nonprofit. 100% of your donation goes to their designated charity. Then, you’ll receive a confirmation email letting you know which causes they supported to see the impact of your gift.

A Toast to #RedefineGifting

From birthdays to Valentine’s Day to Mother’s Day and weddings, there are gift-giving occasions all year round. Billions of dollars are spent each year on retail gifts and many of those gifts are returned to stores or go unused. Our New Year’s resolution is to #RedefineGifting throughout the year by replacing some gifts of stuff with gifts that give back to those who need it most.

Nonprofits receive 1/5th of their annual revenue from December donations. However, that alone is not enough to keep their doors open. Many nonprofits rely on monthly donations to provide much-needed supplies and services to their communities all year long. Imagine the impact we’ll make together if we take small, actionable steps to #RedefineGifting every month.

Cheers to a New Calendar Year

Here are some fun ways to make TisBest Charity Gift Cards part of your charitable giving New Year’s resolutions:

JANUARY
Do you know someone with a January birthday who doesn’t really need or want anything after the holidays? Give them the joy of giving back with a TisBest Charity Gift Card.

FEBRUARY
Send your Valentines a charity gift card or attach one to a box of chocolates. Then watch their hearts melt as they pay it forward to their favorite charities.

MARCH
Are you the manager of a small team or own your own business? Celebrate Employee Appreciation Day on March 3 by showing your team you care about what they care about. Employees want to work for companies that support charitable giving. Imagine how they’ll feel when you let them choose the charities to support. 

APRIL
In honor of Earth Day, invite your friends and family to redeem their TisBest Charity Gift Card to support their favorite environmental charities. Plus, our gift cards come in three sustainable formats –  bio-plastic, digital, and downloadable cards – an added win for the planet!

MAY

Honor your mom and the mother-figures in your life by giving them the joy of giving back to their favorite charities. Enclose a TisBest Charity Gift Card in a greeting card or sneak one in a bouquet of flowers.

JUNE
Getting married this year? TisBest Charity Gift Cards make a unique wedding favor for your guests. Invited to a wedding and need a unique gift for the couple who doesn’t need another toaster? Help them spread the love to the causes they hold dear to their hearts.

JULY
Celebrate Independence Day by giving TisBest Charity Gift Cards. You can recommend recipients pay it forward to our featured civil rights charities to support freedom and justice for all.

AUGUST
August 17 is National Nonprofit Day! It’s a day to recognize non-profit organizations and the impact they make in their local communities. Send your loved ones a TisBest Charity Gift Card so they can pay it forward to their favorite cause.

SEPTEMBER
Back to school is a great time of year to teach children and teens about the importance of giving back. Send the kids in your life a digital TisBest Charity Gift Card. They’ll love making the decision on which charities to support and getting to do it right from their phone. You’ll love learning about the types of causes that are most important to them. 

OCTOBER
Last year, consumers spent $10.6 billion on Halloween candy, decorations, and costumes. This year, let’s make a collective resolution to direct more of that spending to the causes we care about most.

NOVEMBER
On Thanksgiving, include a TisBest Charity Gift Card on each place setting. After dinner, have your guests pay it forward to their favorite charities. Then, during dessert talk about all of the different charities they supported and why. Together, you’ll make the holidays a little brighter for those less fortunate.

DECEMBER
Looking for last-minute holiday gifts for friends, family, and colleagues? Our digital and downloadable cards are available instantly after purchase! Plus, your gift is tax deductible so you’ll receive a receipt for filing.

Order Your TisBest Charity Gift Cards Today!

Adding charitable giving to your New Year’s resolutions is easy whether you plan to donate once a year or once per month. Order bio-plastic cards and we’ll ship them directly to your loved ones or send them to you for further personalization. Prefer to send digital cards? You choose the amount and the delivery date – making it easy to plan ahead for birthdays, special occasions, and holidays – or enjoy instant delivery for last-minute gifts. Together, let’s #RedefineGifting and make this year the happiest of all!

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On Tuesday, November 30, we celebrate GivingTuesday, the global day of giving held each year on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. A record-breaking $2.47 billion was donated to U.S. nonprofits by 34.8 million people on GivingTuesday in 2020 — that’s 13% of the U.S. population! What’s more, that amount also reflected a 29% increase in donations compared to 2019. This year, TisBest would like to help break that record! Share the joy of charitable giving with your friends, family, and coworkers and invite them to do the same.

Gift Cards That Give Back on GivingTuesday 

TisBest Charity Gift Cards work like any other gift card with one meaningful exception. Rather than buying more stuff, recipients “spend” 100% of the card’s value on charities of their choice. It’s the perfect way to celebrate GivingTuesday with others and to spread some holiday cheer to those who need it most. Unlike branded store gift cards, TisBest Charity Gift cards can be custom designed for a personal touch. Also, you can choose to send a bio-plastic card by mail, print a card at home, or send an e-card to the gift recipient. With more than 1.5 million U.S.-registered charities to choose from, recipients can support the causes that are most meaningful to them. TisBest Charity Gift Cards can be purchased for as little as $10 or as much as your budget allows. It’s the perfect gift for everyone on your list.

Spread Some Love to Your Loved One’s Favorite Charities

Aside from awareness days for individual causes, or national crises, there are limited opportunities for nonprofits to garner national attention. GivingTuesday is the perfect chance for nonprofits to share their missions, solicit donations, and gain new supporters. Since this first annual day of giving was established in 2012, U.S. nonprofits have raised more than $1.9 billion. This still pales in comparison to the $15.2 billion spent on unwanted holiday gifts. Imagine the impact we could make if we all #RedefineGifting by replacing gifts of stuff with gifts of good? Send your loved ones a TisBest Charity Gift Card in honor of GivingTuesday. Together, you’ll do a world of good.

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With Giving Tuesday occurring this week, did you know that there are 1.6 million tax-exempt organizations in the United States?
That number represents a lot of people striving to create a better world. From Civil Rights charities, organizations that help the homeless population, faith-based nonprofits, environmental initiatives, and more, there is no shortage of 501(c)(3) nonprofits to which Americans can donate their money and time. 
In fact, Americans wrote off $449.64 billion in charitable donations in 2019. Wow! 

Where Are You Donating This Giving Tuesday?

With Giving Tuesday and the end of the year approaching quickly, you’re likely considering a charitable donation toward an organization you care about. Or, perhaps you’re new to charitable giving and hoping to discover which nonprofits best reflect your individual moral compass.
With so many options in the United States, it’s wise to ask several important questions before donating money to a charitable organization.
If you need help deciding where to donate, TisBest is here to help with some decision criteria.

1. How Far Will My Giving Tuesday Dollar Go?

Healthy charities demonstrate transparency. You should be able to find information on an organization’s website regarding all costs and financials from each fiscal year. If you can’t find it online, ask for it.
Keep in mind that all nonprofit organizations have overhead costs. This may include salaries for employees, rent and insurance on office space, and more. That being said, the charity you donate to hopefully strives to keep their overhead costs low in order to spend more funds on their cause.
Before donating, find out how far your dollar will go by researching or asking what percent of each dollar goes toward overhead costs. Organizations that have more financial efficiency and sustainability are more likely to achieve their mission in the long run. 

2. Can My Giving Tuesday Donation be a Tax Deduction, and Does That Matter to Me?

There are lots of tax exempt charities out there, as we mentioned above. But let’s unpack the deductible type versus organizations to which donations do not qualify for tax deductions. How the organization is registered with the IRS and whether a donation can possibly result in a tax write-off are separate questions from whether your individual taxes will benefit from the donation. Here is a great breakdown on what deduction level it takes to itemize. Bottom line: even if the charity qualifies as deductible, everyone doesn’t benefit from writing off their charitable donations.

“Giving Tuesday” does not have to mean “Tax-deductible Tuesday”

When it comes to charitable donations qualifying for deductions, often this tax deductible designation is used as a litmus test for whether a charity is legitimate. And most of the charity listings on the internet will rely on the IRS 501c3 designation to source their list. There are a handful of reasons why some legitimate nonprofits are not included. 
For example, there are younger or smaller charities out there with lower overhead — think “startup scrappy” — which may be very impactful but simply do not have 501c3 status yet. In fact, when the IRS was restructured in 2017 it caused long delays for even those nonprofits that had filed for their federal status. 
In other cases, entirely legitimate, tax exempt charity organizations could have different IRS designation types like a 501c4, which indicates the donation is not deductible. There are over 150,000 501c4 nonprofits that often strive to bring systemic impact on a major issue you care about through political channels like lobbying. 

Helpful Resources for Charitable Tax Deductions

However, if you are considering this donation part of your annual income tax strategy, you should confirm before donating whether or not donations to an organization are tax deductible. If you aren’t sure, check the charity’s website for its Employer Identification Number (EIN) number and look it up on Charity Navigator to confirm the status.
And oftentimes, major nonprofit organizations will have separate arms or funds that are not 501c3. That’s also something to be aware of as you make your donation. Charity Navigator has compiled an additional list of considerations regarding the tax benefits of giving here.

3. What is the Underlying Issue and Does the Charity’s Mission Address it?

Most, if not all, charities are well-intentioned. 
However, as explained in the book When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert, many charities do more harm than good by failing to consider the complexities of the larger issue in their efforts. 
A tangible example of good intentions actually hurting a local economy is told in the story of a Rwandan egg farmer who relied on his daily egg sales for income. When a well-meaning American church began sending free eggs to the community, the farmer was no longer able to make a living. The demand for his supply had disappeared overnight. 
Likewise, the Netflix film Poverty, Inc. examines problems within the multibillion-dollar poverty industry and urges viewers to ask how they may be part of the problem. It talks about having a mind for the poor versus just having a heart for the poor. Check out the trailer for this documentary.
With regards to complex foreign issues in particular, novelist Teju Cole eloquently personifies this controversial sentiment in a 2012 Atlantic article: 

“His good heart does not always allow him to think constellationally. He does not connect the dots or see the patterns of power behind the isolated “disasters.” All he sees are hungry mouths, and he, in his own advocacy-by-journalism way, is putting food in those mouths as fast as he can. All he sees is need, and he sees no need to reason out the need for the need.”

Diligence is the Key

But many charities truly do strive to improve systemic issues, empower people, and help them recognize their inherent dignity. This is why donors must critically examine the effect of a nonprofit’s work in a community. Supporting an organization certainly feels good — but the impact always extends far beyond that feeling. Dig in and do the research. Make sure the organization’s mission is one you believe in. As Cole puts it, ”If we are going to interfere in the lives of others, a little due diligence is a minimum requirement.”

4. What Are This Charity’s Accomplishments and Long-term Goals?

Before making a contribution, find out what milestones the nonprofit in question has already reached in its mission and what long-lasting impact it plans to make in the world. Questions to ask may include:

• What results have you already seen through your efforts?
• What are the organization’s goals for the next year, five years, and ten years? 
• Do you have a plan in place to accomplish those goals?
• What kind of results will my donation help with?
• How do you report progress to supporters and donors?

This will give you insight as to whether or not this charity is a good fit for your donation. If they can’t communicate a defined, actionable plan, it may not be worth partnering with financially. 

5. What Is This Organization’s Charity Navigator Score?

Charity Navigator is a helpful tool that uses a Rating Methodology on all nonprofits in the United States.
The goal of Charity Navigator’s system is to help generous people like yourself donate with confidence to effective and transparent organizations. 
You can search for any charity on the website to see its score, discover new organizations by topic, view Top Ten lists, and more.
Curious about which charities have perfect scores? Here are just a few of them:

All Hands and Hearts Smart Response

Mission: All Hands and Hearts effectively and efficiently addresses the immediate and long-term needs of communities impacted by natural disasters. We communicate directly with local leaders and community members and then deploy our unique model of engaging volunteers to enable direct impact, helping to build safer, more resilient schools, homes, and infrastructure.
Through community and volunteer engagement, we focus on helping families recover faster after natural disasters using our Smart Response strategy. In doing so, we strengthen both our volunteers and the communities in which we serve.
Visit the website | See Charity Navigator Score

Equal Justice Initiative

Mission: EJI is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.
Visit the website | See Charity Navigator Score

WildAid

Mission: WildAid’s mission is to end the illegal wildlife trade in our lifetimes. WildAid works to reduce the demand for illegal wildlife products and to promote energy conservation, via global public awareness campaigns. WildAid also strives to create model field conservation programs and to strengthen marine protected areas around the world.
Visit the website | See Charity Navigator Score

ProPublica

Mission: Founded in 2007, ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. Our work focuses exclusively on truly important stories, stories with “moral force.” We do this by producing journalism that shines a light on exploitation of the weak by the strong and on the failures of those with power to vindicate the trust placed in them. In the best traditions of American journalism in the public service, we seek to stimulate positive change. We uncover unsavory practices in order to stimulate reform. We do this in an entirely non-partisan and non-ideological manner, adhering to the strictest standards of journalistic impartiality.
Visit the website | See Charity Navigator Score

Ready to Create a Better World?

Of the millions of organizations, which ones resonate with you? 
By asking the right questions and finding an organization that is the right fit for your values, you’ll feel the true impact of partnering with a world-changing charity. 
Finally, to truly help create a better world, we encourage you to consider a lifetime of giving — not just a once-a-year donation.

See the Charities TisBest Partners With

The post Giving Tuesday: 5 Questions to Ask Before Donating appeared first on TisBest.