Want to know how to choose the best charities to support in Australia? There are thousands of them. Our philanthropy experts share tips to help you decide.
There’s about 60,000 registered charities and 600,000 not-for-profit organisations in Australia. So it’s not easy to know which organisation to support or donate to. There’s also a lot of information out there about the best charities to support, but deciding who you want to give to is a personal choice. We can’t choose for you, but we can share some useful tips to help you decide which charities to support.
Choose Your Focus Area
With so many different and worthy causes out there to support, how do you narrow it down? A good place to start is by thinking about your personal values and what’s important to you. Many people draw on their own life experiences when deciding on a charity to support. Whether that be something that had an impact on you when growing up such as sport, education or mentoring. Or having a friend of family member go through something difficult such as homelessness or illness.
Some good questions to ask yourself:
- What are you passionate about?
- Is there a specific community you want to support?
- What keeps you up at night?
If you are unsure of specific cause areas, the Sustainable Development Goals are also a useful source of inspiration. They’re a collection of 17 global social and economic goals which highlight key areas that need to be addressed not only in Australia, but around the world.
Think About the Specific Criteria That Matter to You
Once you have decided on the cause area or areas you are most passionate about. The next step is to narrow the search criteria.
Some questions for you to consider:
- What size charity do you want to support?
- Would you prefer to support grassroots, or a well-known larger charity?
- Do you want to give locally or at a national or international level?
- Do you want your donation to go directly to the cause/program/cohort the organisation supports or are you happy to fund the operations of the charity?
- How much interaction or hands on involvement do you want with the charity?
- Would you like to provide more than just funding – by way of volunteer or pro bono work?
- Do you have a preference?
Do Your Research on Charities
The Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission ( ACNC) Charity Register is a great resource to help you learn more about a charity’s size, financials, Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status, organisational structure, and the locations they operate in.
It’s also important to understand the funding needs of any organisation you might support. Don’t hesitate to reach out to the charity or NFP to have a discussion with them and learn more about the work they do.
When connecting with charities, ask these key questions to determine if they’re the right fit for you and to understand the impact:
- What have they achieved to date against the goals they set?
- What has not worked? And what have they learnt from it?
- What is currently working?
- What is next? What do they want to achieve? And what could funds be used for in the future?
Consult with Philanthropy Experts to Manage Your Donations
Choosing your key cause areas, defining your criteria and doing your research into potential charities can be a time-consuming exercise. If you don’t have the time or capacity to create your own giving strategy , the Be BlueRock Foundation team can help!
Our philanthropy experts can not only assist you in setting up a charitable structure. We can work with your family or your business to put together a giving strategy, including completing the due diligence on, and arranging meetings with suitable charitable organisations. Talk to us about choosing your top charities to support, and for years to come, to leave a lasting legacy from your business or wealth. It’s time to give mor purpose to your wealth!
