With National Philanthropy Day in mid-November kicking off the “Season of Giving,” it is important that you take stock of your philanthropic values and actions as the year winds down. It is important to make sure that your giving is aligned with your needs and those of your family, but also that the giving maximizes impact.

Before you GIVE… THINK. You think deeply about things that matter to you. You are strategic about your business. You are thoughtful about your family. You are intentional about your friendships. Why should your philanthropy be any different? Take the time at the end of the year to think clearly about what drives you to give, where you have given in the past and what legacy you want to leave in the world.

You charitable giving is your way to make a positive impact on the world around you. In order to maximize that impact, you—and society—deserve to get the most ‘bang for the buck.’ It should never be a haphazard decision, but an intentional choice. To make sure it is intentional, we suggest creating some sort of worksheet (such as our Donor Impact Roadmap) for yourself to identify the specifics of why and how you want to give.

Getting clear about these elements will help you think through not only ‘where’ and ‘why’ you want to give, but also the ‘how.’ Moreover, if you want to maximize your impact, you will also consider ‘how you will know you made a difference’ as a part of your calculations and planning.

At Ersoylu Consulting, philanthropy is our business. We are data-driven ‘do-gooders’ who exist to make your charitable giving simple and impactful. Let us do the heavy lifting for you. Whether you are a foundation looking to research best practices, a corporate CSR Manager looking to survey your staff about volunteerism or a Wealth Manager looking to gain more clarity around giving options, we are here to help you.

We bring the tools and analytics from decades of experience in the social science field to help you do the work-of-giving in a strategic, thoughtful way. There are countless ways to make a difference. Let us help you find the key giving strategies that make the most sense for you today.

Dr. Leah Ersoylu is President at Ersoylu Consulting, a data-driven philanthropy consultancy.

For more information, visit us at www.ersoylu.com