When it comes to donating to charity there is a lot of misinformation out there. Bigger charities can often be more criticized by mis held beliefs than smaller charitable organizations and it’s nobody’s fault. If we look at the state of the media we receive, there is so much fake news, opposing opinions, and social media stunts, it is hard to know what is true and what is not. How can you know whom to trust and what information to take seriously? Have no fear LIFE’s blog is here. There will be many myths surrounding charity that we bust open on this blog. Today we will be addressing 4 of the most common misconceptions surrounding big charities.
Myth #1: Large charity organizations have bigger resources than smaller charities.
Many people think that when a charity has a significant impact it must have larger funding from either the government or big pockets. In reality, most large charities rely heavily on the funding they receive from the general public - that’s right, donations.
#2: Large charity organizations should not need to pay staff.
Volunteer work is certainly in the spirit of altruism; however, volunteers are often not as frequent, and their abilities may not always fit the bill for what is needed at an organization. Inevitably larger charities will need to hire qualified full-time staff. This is imperative to realize the goals of a charitable organization.
What may seem like a large salary in a charity’s budget is the appropriate payment for the job that is being completed by the individual filling the job. Often a high level of professional skill is needed to ensure that charitable funds are properly allocated, spent and that charitable outcomes are achieved.
Myth #3: My small contribution won’t make a difference in a large charity.
Large charity organizations rely heavily on public support. In fact, most charities would not be able to do what they do without your small donation. It may not be visible right away and that is because, unlike smaller charitable organizations, bigger charities are often making large-scale changes and reforms. Rest assured, every donation counts.
Myth #4: Large charity organizations are not transparent about where and how they spend their money.
This could not be further from the truth. Larger charitable organizations are held to a higher level of transparency than other charities. This is because large charities are dealing with larger sums. As a result, they are frequently vetted by their donors. Additionally, many organizations like Charity Navigator that assess charities insist on being able to see financial records. As a result, most larger charities will easily have their annual financial reports available to the public.
There you have it, the top 4 myths about big charitable organizations debunked. If you have questions about the viability of an organization’s cause, its output, and/or how its money is being spent, one of the best things you can do is ask. Ask your charity for the information you seek; you will be pleasantly surprised to find that most successful large charities are an open book. Tried and true, there is a reason they have the impact that they do.
