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eBook Category: General Nonfiction/General Nonfiction
eBook Description: The tragic events in Asia have highlighted the work and fundraising methods used by charities. This is the only book which can help the reader distinguish between the thousands of different charities jostling for public support.

eBook Publisher: Vision Paperbacks/Vision Paperbacks
Fictionwise Release Date: November 2006

Most of us have a cause we strongly believe in, or feel moved to support others in difficult times. Millions act on these impulses by supporting the charities and campaigning groups set up to bring hope and fight against inequality, destruction and disease. But it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by what seem like ceaseless appeals for help; for our money and time. Hundreds of different charity appeals drop through our letterboxes, appear on our TV screens and cry out from billboards every year. When faced with horrific stories of cancer, war, child abuse, global warming, prejudice or torture, it is difficult to believe you can ever do enough or if anything ever makes a difference. Many people subsequently claim they feel overwhelmed and may privately admit to ?compassion fatigue?. It is not uncommon for people to question how charities and campaigning groups spend donors? money and whether they are making enough impact. And new fundraising techniques can make people feel guilty and openly resentful, leading for instance to street fundraisers being given the name ?chuggers?. This book aims to cut through this confusion, offering the advice and information you need to best support your values and resources, it also shows just what an impact your help can make. By spending some time thinking about why you're giving and what impact you'd like to make, you can avoid the guilt associated with saying ?no? to a charity fundraiser or discarding leaflets. The Good Giving Guide is the first comprehensive guide that covers the whole spectrum of ways to support good causes ? from volunteering and campaigning to donating money. It explains the different options in detail and gives advice on how to get started. It describes how charities, NGOs and pressure groups operate, and tackles many of the common concerns that were voiced in our survey, such as avoiding bogus collectors and checking how much money gets to the cause. It also shows you how to make your donations as effective as possible by taking advantage of tax breaks and choosing efficient ways to give. Charities have evolved immeasurably throughout the decades. Modern charities and campaigning groups are sophisticated organisations that not only provide services but also proactively research and implement long-term solutions, campaign and lobby on behalf of their beneficiaries and play an important role in advising governments and corporations. These organisations also empower people to take a stand and take action. They work for social change and get help to millions in need of support, relying heavily if not entirely on public donors, activists and volunteers. By finding ways to give that make you happy about how and why you're helping a charity or campaigning group you will be playing an important part of contributing a society that works to change the world for the better.