10|27|25Gem, do you want to make a difference but aren’t sure where to start? With so many nonprofits out there, choosing one that aligns with your values can feel overwhelming.
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Intentional Impact: How to find a nonprofit that matches your values x Girl Power USA
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Today, there are numerous non-profit organizations around the world.
The IRS’s Business Master File estimates that there are roughly 1.9 million registered nonprofit organizations in the US alone.
Keep up, Gem. This may seem like a lot of information to take in, but these are all facts and statistics that matter.
Choosing the right non-profit to support can therefore feel challenging. You want to help a cause you care about, but you also want to ensure you are involved with an honest organization that’s making a significant impact.
At Girl Power USA, we believe one’s relationship with a nonprofit organization is as important as any other. We give our stakeholders, be it donors or volunteers, the opportunity to connect with beneficiaries and see the impact their support is making firsthand.
That’s why we are sharing key factors you should consider before committing your time and money to a non-profit organization:
Financial Transparency
When you decide to support a non-profit organization, financially or otherwise, you need assurance that your contribution will be used strategically and responsibly.
A credible non-profit will value your trust and honor it with honest and transparent reporting of its activities.
There are several credible sources you can use to get accurate information on the organization you are looking to support. For instance, Guidestar contains records from nearly two million nonprofits registered with the Internal Revenue Service and provides access to each organization’s Form 990, the basic IRS filing document for nonprofits in the US.
You can also use Charity Navigator to review a non-profit organization based on its sources of revenue, tax status, spending practices, length of operation, and more.
Know Your Why
Your choice of a nonprofit to support depends on your general reason to support one at all.
You might want to add or develop your organization’s Corporate Social Responsibility, form a partnership, join the fight against an injustice or an illness, give support in the wake of a disaster, or simply give back to society. Either way, supporting a cause that you have a connection to will be more meaningful and motivate you to keep going even amidst inevitable challenges. Furthermore, your advocacy for the cause will be authentic, potentially inspiring others to also support.
Look into Specific Causes
As mentioned above, Gem, there are many nonprofits, and new ones come up every day.
Most of these are working to address similar issues. Before settling for one, ensure to look into several to see which one aligns with your goals (your Why) the most. Even within the same organization, there are probably different causes to choose from. For Instance, at Girl Power USA, our various programs centre around healthcare, education, gender equality, and addressing period poverty. Choose one that is closest to your heart.
Connect with An Organization
While you might easily access a nonprofit’s donation and background information from their website and other online sources, before you support one, it is advisable to ascertain their work and nature on your own. Go a step further to reach out to the organization, meet the team, and ask questions. You can even consider doing a site visit, volunteering, or attending an upcoming event by the organization. This will allow you to get to know the organization and the people behind it, to see their impact, and know if it's something you’d want to get more involved in.
A Little Kindness Goes a Long Way
Nonprofits depend on collective support from different people and organizations. Even then, one organization cannot solve a particular issue, say world hunger or gender inequality, alone. Therefore, do not wait until you have “enough money” to support a cause. Also, do not think that your support, no matter how small, is insignificant. Start with what you have—even if it’s just volunteering your time and skills—and where you are.
By supporting a cause, you help the world move a step closer towards realizing change in that area.
Give Grassroots Organizations a Chance
Your research will likely lead you to well-known or big nonprofit organizations. You might also feel safer supporting a big name whose credibility and authority are well established, and rightfully so. However, a new or grassroots organization can be better aligned with your goals and passions. Moreover, it can only grow and make more impact if people like you are willing to bet on it.
Grassroots organizations have a closer and more intimate connection to their beneficiaries, and can solve local problems with more efficiency given this understanding. Of course, still do your due diligence, but if the organization ticks all your boxes, why not?
Girl Power USA believes in individuals who go out of their way to make small changes in their communities, even with limited resources. We value passion and commitment towards creating change more than a well-known brand. Our project partners include local organizations in India, Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda—all started by individuals who wanted to create change in their communities.
An upside to this is that such organizations have close connections with and a good understanding of the communities they serve. This allows us to interact and build a relationship with our beneficiaries, thus going beyond immediate support and creating lasting change that can be paid forward.
Follow the Organization’s Progress
After settling on a nonprofit to support, do not stop there by just making automated donations. Keep up with the organization’s progress to stay informed on whether and how your contribution is making an impact. This information will be useful in your decision to commit to your involvement.
Supporting a nonprofit is a great way to contribute to change in a particular area.
And while we advise taking the time to vet and find a cause you are passionate about, sometimes spontaneous action is necessary. This is especially true for natural disasters such as the recent LA fires, or contributing to fundraisers and medical support. If you are in a position to support such campaigns, take action to bring immediate relief.
Importantly, supporting a nonprofit need not be a lifetime commitment. Things change, and you should feel free to redirect your contribution if your interests no longer align with a particular organization or if you find yourself unable to fulfill your support. Sometimes, you may simply need to change the nature of your contribution, and that’s perfectly fine.
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Gem, share this blog with another woman who’s ready to make a difference. Someone whose heart beats for change but wants her giving to be intentional. Together, we’re proving that impact starts with alignment.
Until next time, Girl Power USA and SheIsTreasure are sending you love, light, and purpose.
Girl Power USA is a registered 501(c)(3) organization in the US and the official impact partner of Girl Power Talk. We are aligned with the UN SDGs and currently have 7 programs running across Africa and Asia in Healthcare, Education, Food Security, Climate Change, Gender Equality, and Necessary Support. We provide opportunities for people to drive social impact in their local or global communities and contribute to causes that they may otherwise not be able to see a direct impact on.
Girl Power USA is a female and youth-driven organization defined by values of transparency, agility, sustainability, and building relationships. What makes Girl Power USA unique is that we offer direct connections to those that we are impacting and commit to documenting the benevolence of our sponsors and donors. We are constantly looking to grow, which we measure not by the amount of donations but by the number of people supported.
Read more about their work here: www.girlpowerusa.org
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