FORMER NFL PLAYER, Scott Davis began his professional career with the La Raiders (now Oakland Raiders) where he became an advocate of charitable giving. the purpose of this site is to share and exchange Charity-Giving Guidelines and Insights
The fact is there is an extensive list of myriad worthy causes and charities we can all choose to support. Over the years I have been introduced to the many sides of charitable organizations from the teams of executives who operate them to fundraisers who actively market and solicit on a charities behalf. My experience with non-profits covers a range of over 25 years going back to my days as a professional athlete in the NFL with the Los Angeles Raiders- currently the Oakland Raiders. The reality is there are myriad options and complex decisions for would-be donors like yourself to consider. It canal very quickly become an overwhelming pursuit and deter well meaning people from getting involved. Such a quest can be daunting especially without the proper tools, knowledge and support to manage your donations of time and money more effectively. Charitable giving is no doubt a noble pursuit but not one organization you find compelling should be taken lightly. You are providing your time and money so you want to take care that your gracious efforts reach those you want to reach. The challenge for many begins with navigating the large pool of charitable organizations, gathering the right information, and then building a good base of knowledge relevant to the non-profits you find captivating and worthy of your efforts. This site has been designed with such challenges in mind. My primary goal is to provide you with a basic understanding of where to start and what helpful tools and guidelines may serve you best as you move along your path to helping those in need.
Since you may be considering becoming more involved with a charitable cause or two you may initially assume that because its a charity it must be a quality organization and therefore honorable in its quest to help the needy. Not so fast! Charities can and do range from the exemplary to the unscrupulous. It is always a good idea, as this site fervently promotes, to take the time to develop a deeper more well-rounded understanding of your target cause.
A great place to start is to put together a basic strategy to help better qualify a short list of causes and charities that you identify with. This site highlights five or so charity categories at any given time organized in a straight forward manner to help you build greater awareness of the many charitable organizations and to offer guidance as to how you may establish a clearer approach to ensuring you are giving the "right" charities the time and energy they deserve.
The following 3 "R's" charity selection outline offers simple primary steps I recommend you keep in mind as you set off on your journey to make a difference in someones life. *Keep in mind that doing your homework is the essential fundamental part of the process
1. Pick the "Right" charity for you. (Easier said than done)
2. "Research" the charity thoroughly. (Excellent resources are available)
3. Stay "Recent" on the charitable organization. (Vigilance is required)
Although these steps may seem like common sense navigating, the world of charitable giving will nonetheless prove challenging at times. If you reach a point where you are feeling a bit overwhelmed take a step back for a moment, collect your thoughts and remember you are doing a very good thing. Deserving people will benefit from your kindness and hard work so make sure those people or groups are indeed the ones receiving the benefit. It does not have to be complicated to establish a good set of best practices relevant to donating your time or money to select non profits. A basic plan or even and outline can go along way to give you the confidence to pursue your thoughtful passion. There is an abundance of information and historical data available but you can make big strides with a small set of meaningful facts and figures as you continue to become more well-versed in charitable giving. You will no doubt develop into your own expertise over time. I challenge you to push yourself to become increasingly familiar with the specific types of charities and their activities by accessing quality rating services and by gathering timely data on each charity's respective operational status and ongoing accomplishments.
The five charity categories I am currently highlighting on this site, each with their own dedicated pages, are in no order of importance but are charitable causes that for one reason or another connect with me personally. Your interests and ultimate choices may be completely different but the general approach to collecting useful and manageable information can provide an effective methodology for all. I have listed them by group or type below and all of which, in my humble opinion, are equally worthy causes!
Children's Charities
Women's Charities
Men's Charities
Military Charities
Urgent Need/ Natural Disaster Charities
*Education Funds -Coming soon
There is a vast array of charities for you to explore and research further and with a few exceptions each and every cause can be just as important as the next in it's own way. Keep in mind however, and I can't emphasize this enough, it is your responsibility to be educated about the organization that sits between you and your chosen "cause". The public facing charitable organization will likely serve as the primary facilitator of most or all disbursements with respect to your donations. The world is a better place because of the generous people and the notable efforts made every day by caring individuals wishing to help those in need. The bottom line is that we want to make sure your selected cause is truly benefiting from your efforts, be it through your donated time or your monetary contributions. Charity based organizations essentially act as the middleman between you and your priotity cause and some are just much better than others at overseeing the entire process. You will do better to know the difference.
Since you may be considering becoming more involved with a charitable cause or two you may initially assume that because its a charity it must be a quality organization and therefore honorable in its quest to help the needy. Not so fast! Charities can and do range from the exemplary to the unscrupulous. It is always a good idea, as this site fervently promotes, to take the time to develop a deeper more well-rounded understanding of your target cause.
A great place to start is to put together a basic strategy to help better qualify a short list of causes and charities that you identify with. This site highlights five or so charity categories at any given time organized in a straight forward manner to help you build greater awareness of the many charitable organizations and to offer guidance as to how you may establish a clearer approach to ensuring you are giving the "right" charities the time and energy they deserve.
- Although we will occasionally share additional detail about each five highlighted cause/ charity categories it is my hope that you find it advantageous to use our blog and a version of the general outline for gaining an increased understanding as you continue your journey of discovery and gradually become more involved with the unique causes that meet your personal wants and needs. I do not claim to be a lead expert on the many intricacies or nuances of charitable giving and their organizations but I am an advocate of what can be achieved in giving to those in need. I always welcome and encourage your feedback to continually improve the site. I will make my best efforts to continue to share simple sets of guiding principles with the goal of bringing you closer to the “cause(s)” you find compelling.
The following 3 "R's" charity selection outline offers simple primary steps I recommend you keep in mind as you set off on your journey to make a difference in someones life. *Keep in mind that doing your homework is the essential fundamental part of the process
1. Pick the "Right" charity for you. (Easier said than done)
2. "Research" the charity thoroughly. (Excellent resources are available)
3. Stay "Recent" on the charitable organization. (Vigilance is required)
Although these steps may seem like common sense navigating, the world of charitable giving will nonetheless prove challenging at times. If you reach a point where you are feeling a bit overwhelmed take a step back for a moment, collect your thoughts and remember you are doing a very good thing. Deserving people will benefit from your kindness and hard work so make sure those people or groups are indeed the ones receiving the benefit. It does not have to be complicated to establish a good set of best practices relevant to donating your time or money to select non profits. A basic plan or even and outline can go along way to give you the confidence to pursue your thoughtful passion. There is an abundance of information and historical data available but you can make big strides with a small set of meaningful facts and figures as you continue to become more well-versed in charitable giving. You will no doubt develop into your own expertise over time. I challenge you to push yourself to become increasingly familiar with the specific types of charities and their activities by accessing quality rating services and by gathering timely data on each charity's respective operational status and ongoing accomplishments.
The five charity categories I am currently highlighting on this site, each with their own dedicated pages, are in no order of importance but are charitable causes that for one reason or another connect with me personally. Your interests and ultimate choices may be completely different but the general approach to collecting useful and manageable information can provide an effective methodology for all. I have listed them by group or type below and all of which, in my humble opinion, are equally worthy causes!
Children's Charities
Women's Charities
Men's Charities
Military Charities
Urgent Need/ Natural Disaster Charities
*Education Funds -Coming soon
There is a vast array of charities for you to explore and research further and with a few exceptions each and every cause can be just as important as the next in it's own way. Keep in mind however, and I can't emphasize this enough, it is your responsibility to be educated about the organization that sits between you and your chosen "cause". The public facing charitable organization will likely serve as the primary facilitator of most or all disbursements with respect to your donations. The world is a better place because of the generous people and the notable efforts made every day by caring individuals wishing to help those in need. The bottom line is that we want to make sure your selected cause is truly benefiting from your efforts, be it through your donated time or your monetary contributions. Charity based organizations essentially act as the middleman between you and your priotity cause and some are just much better than others at overseeing the entire process. You will do better to know the difference.