Raiders' Scott Davis writes on donating to Charities
WHERE TO BEGIN:
A Few Simple Considerations on Your Path to Charitable Gifting...
The Cause: It’s Personal
As mention before I feel most, if not all, causes are worthy in their own right but I recommend, at least early on, you begin by choosing one or two that you connect to personally. As a former professional with the Oakland Raiders I received my share of solicitations from a variety of sources that claimed to have my best interests at heart only to find out that when it comes to money there are those "organizations" and "individuals" that target unsuspecting well-meaning members of the NFL and the general public with regularity. I witnessed this first hand during my time with the Los Angeles Raiders and learned early on not to let passion blind you to tactics meant to deceive. Point being is that when your assessing things that are personal, understandably emotional, and involve money you must be extra vigilant in your level of awareness and decision making.
A deeply personal connection alone is a great motivator and can provide the inspiration for developing your own approach to giving. Bite off more than you can chew however and the whole experience can become stressful and overwhelming in short order. In these unfortunate scenarios no one benefits from your generosity. Your passion will many times drive action but passion alone is not necessarily enough. It's good to embrace what your heart is saying just be sure you are learning and establishing good fundamentals that will sustain your efforts long term.
Know too that there’s nothing wrong with a onetime contribution of time or money to your charity or cause but approaching it with the long-term in mind can put things in a proper perspective and, managed properly, can easily compound the positive effects of giving. It’s similar to what you do for a living in that if you are close to it, impassioned by it, and find personal satisfaction through it you are more likely to find greater happiness and reward through it.
Time to Manage your Time…
No matter the circumstance that compelled you to identify with a cause or multiple causes each one deserves and requires your complete attention and best effort. You’ll do everyone a thoughtful favor by taking some extra time to consider the less obvious realities that surround your cause, what you are able to contribute in terms of time and or money, and the focus required to make a difference.
I see it like this... most of us have heard of or know someone who wanted at one time to be a big brother or big sister? Their heart was always in the right place but shortly into the program that individual pledging their time realizes the enormity of the commitment so very vital to such a worthy cause. Ultimately and regretfully they abandon the program all together feeling overwhelmed and saddened due to a sense of failure. And what is the ultimate price? in this case it's a needy and deserving child being forced to once again deal with the downside of what it was they needed in their life in the first place. But there is a silver lining…
I realize not all charities require the same levels of extensive or long-term commitment but what I am saying is you’ll do well to take the time early on to make your best effort to gauge the level of commitment you can offer against the scope of what is necessary. You’re a good person for being here in the first place. My suggestion is simply to start slow (baby steps) and go from there!
Rev Your Engine…
There are varying degrees of participation worth considering. By this I mean once you have decided to commit to a specific cause take a bit more time to more thoroughly research the history of the organization that contributes directly to the cause you've selected. This is important. There are several charity rating organizations that can be of great help when you decide to move forward. I have found one highly detailed site called Charity Navigator to be an excellent resource. The information they provide is extensive with timely updated information on a large pool of charitable organizations.
Are you Simpatico?
By now you are aware that getting involved with a cause or charity is a wonderful journey but each present certain challenges that require your complete attention. At this point you have decided you have the time and are willing and ready to get involved. Keep in mind that worthy causes are a two way street. You want to be on board with a charity that's clearly on board with your vision and the mission at hand. Researching and remaining current on their track record is a must. There are any number of questions to consider along the way and once you have established the cause you will actively pursue you will want to qualify which of those organizations are sure to make the most of your contributions in terms of your time, your money, or both. Services like Charity Navigator is an online rating service we quote regularly as they pay considerable attention to providing many answers to critical questions you will undoubtedly have. I will not reinvent the wheel here but will once more appeal to you to visit a few rating services to help ensure an organization meets your individual sensibilities.
A Few Simple Considerations on Your Path to Charitable Gifting...
The Cause: It’s Personal
As mention before I feel most, if not all, causes are worthy in their own right but I recommend, at least early on, you begin by choosing one or two that you connect to personally. As a former professional with the Oakland Raiders I received my share of solicitations from a variety of sources that claimed to have my best interests at heart only to find out that when it comes to money there are those "organizations" and "individuals" that target unsuspecting well-meaning members of the NFL and the general public with regularity. I witnessed this first hand during my time with the Los Angeles Raiders and learned early on not to let passion blind you to tactics meant to deceive. Point being is that when your assessing things that are personal, understandably emotional, and involve money you must be extra vigilant in your level of awareness and decision making.
A deeply personal connection alone is a great motivator and can provide the inspiration for developing your own approach to giving. Bite off more than you can chew however and the whole experience can become stressful and overwhelming in short order. In these unfortunate scenarios no one benefits from your generosity. Your passion will many times drive action but passion alone is not necessarily enough. It's good to embrace what your heart is saying just be sure you are learning and establishing good fundamentals that will sustain your efforts long term.
Know too that there’s nothing wrong with a onetime contribution of time or money to your charity or cause but approaching it with the long-term in mind can put things in a proper perspective and, managed properly, can easily compound the positive effects of giving. It’s similar to what you do for a living in that if you are close to it, impassioned by it, and find personal satisfaction through it you are more likely to find greater happiness and reward through it.
Time to Manage your Time…
No matter the circumstance that compelled you to identify with a cause or multiple causes each one deserves and requires your complete attention and best effort. You’ll do everyone a thoughtful favor by taking some extra time to consider the less obvious realities that surround your cause, what you are able to contribute in terms of time and or money, and the focus required to make a difference.
I see it like this... most of us have heard of or know someone who wanted at one time to be a big brother or big sister? Their heart was always in the right place but shortly into the program that individual pledging their time realizes the enormity of the commitment so very vital to such a worthy cause. Ultimately and regretfully they abandon the program all together feeling overwhelmed and saddened due to a sense of failure. And what is the ultimate price? in this case it's a needy and deserving child being forced to once again deal with the downside of what it was they needed in their life in the first place. But there is a silver lining…
I realize not all charities require the same levels of extensive or long-term commitment but what I am saying is you’ll do well to take the time early on to make your best effort to gauge the level of commitment you can offer against the scope of what is necessary. You’re a good person for being here in the first place. My suggestion is simply to start slow (baby steps) and go from there!
Rev Your Engine…
There are varying degrees of participation worth considering. By this I mean once you have decided to commit to a specific cause take a bit more time to more thoroughly research the history of the organization that contributes directly to the cause you've selected. This is important. There are several charity rating organizations that can be of great help when you decide to move forward. I have found one highly detailed site called Charity Navigator to be an excellent resource. The information they provide is extensive with timely updated information on a large pool of charitable organizations.
Are you Simpatico?
By now you are aware that getting involved with a cause or charity is a wonderful journey but each present certain challenges that require your complete attention. At this point you have decided you have the time and are willing and ready to get involved. Keep in mind that worthy causes are a two way street. You want to be on board with a charity that's clearly on board with your vision and the mission at hand. Researching and remaining current on their track record is a must. There are any number of questions to consider along the way and once you have established the cause you will actively pursue you will want to qualify which of those organizations are sure to make the most of your contributions in terms of your time, your money, or both. Services like Charity Navigator is an online rating service we quote regularly as they pay considerable attention to providing many answers to critical questions you will undoubtedly have. I will not reinvent the wheel here but will once more appeal to you to visit a few rating services to help ensure an organization meets your individual sensibilities.