Starting with the gratitude that marks the meaning of Thanksgiving, extending into the next month of celebrations of birth and light, and then moving into the new year of resolutions, the first winter months arrive in a flurry of good intentions. Reminders of how good their lives are stir many to action, and giving to charity is one major action. According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, 50% of nonprofit organizations receive most of their contributions between October and December, and 43% of people who make higher incomes (i.e., households with incomes higher than $200,000 and net worths larger than $1 million) give more during the holidays.
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December 2018How do people choose where to donate their money? Are there things to consider that may not be readily apparent? What are the best ways to donate? Here are some tips for physicians to consider when thinking about how and where to make charitable contributions, as well as ideas for expanding on ways to give beyond the pocketbook.
Giving to Charity
Katie Brewer, CFP, a financial advisor in Dallas who specializes in advising physicians and runs the website “Your Richest Life” (yourrichestlifeplanning.com), which helps physicians and other professionals with financial advice and planning, recommends first that physicians come up with a strategy on how they want to give. “Make sure you come up with a strategy to donate, because a lot of the time, physicians say they want to donate something back but then don’t take the time to figure out what to do,” she said.