Give Like You Mean It: How to Vet a Nonprofit Before You Donate

Most people give because a story moved them, a friend asked, or the mail came with a photo that made them wince. None of that is wrong. But almost nobody asks the one question that actually matters: what will you do with my money?

Give Like You Mean It is a short, practical guide for anyone who wants their giving to do more than feel good in the moment. Written by a nonprofit founder who has sat on both sides of the desk, as the person asking for the money and the person deciding whether to give it, this guide walks you through:

• How to vet any nonprofit before you give, using free tools like Charity Navigator, GuideStar, and the IRS Form 990
• The red flags that separate a nonprofit that looks good from one that actually is good
• A simple exercise to find the cause that's genuinely yours, not just the one that happened to cross your feed
• How to build giving into your budget so it's a habit, not a guilt trip
• A one-page vetting checklist you can use every time you're asked to give

24 pages. Instant PDF download. Read in under 30 minutes, use for the rest of your giving life.