Is Your Charitable Giving Getting Results? - Kiplinger

Is Your Charitable Giving Getting Results? - Kiplinger: "Weigh the results. Expect the annual report to lay out how the charity met its mission, including the challenges it faced and the milestones it met. Be sure the goals and results were measurable -- say, number of meals served -- and not just general statements, such as 'fed the hungry.' For instance, SOME (So Others May Eat), in Washington, D.C., reports that it served 288,390 meals in its dining rooms in 2009, an increase of 17,000 meals over the previous year. Those numbers demonstrate impact, says Michael Nilsen, of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. 'People want a sense of the concrete.' If you can't get a handle on the reported results, talk to staff members to get the insiders' take."