November 2022
Are you the curious type? Well, here’s a week to know about. It’s called National Philanthropy Week. I call it Upper Valley Philanthropy Week around here.
November 15th is National Philanthropy Day, highlighting November 13 - 19, locally, as Upper Valley Philanthropy Week to celebrate and recognize the impact of charitable work in our communities. What we do to help charitable causes, or mission-driven non-profits, creates an outsized positive benefit that makes the Upper Valley a uniquely special place.
Locally, many non-profit organizations and their staff do extraordinary work to help people overcome life’s challenges. From securing housing to finding employment, delivering a next meal to ending gender-based violence, providing winter coats to delivering firewood, and from homeless shelters to healthcare, education to religion, the arts to the environment to substance-free youth activities. These are the most vital of resources provided in the most vital of times. It’s the generosity of many that creates ongoing support structures that pick up when a person or family otherwise can’t, or where the private sector doesn’t operate. This benefits each of us personally, spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, and economically. The Upper Valley thrives when we care about each other.
To name several local charities: The Upper Valley Haven, Full Circle Farm, WISE, Good Beginnings, Listen Community Services, AVA Gallery & Art Center, Vital Communities, Vermont Institute of Natural Science, Library Arts Center, Headrest, Northern Stage, Twin Pines Housing Trust, COVER Home Repair, TLC Family Resource Center, The Good Neighbor Health Clinic & Red Logan Dental Clinic, Upper Valley Trails Alliance, Main Street Museum, Mascoma Health Center, Claremont Soup Kitchen, Vermont Law & Graduate School, West Central Behavioral Health, and, new on the scene, Junction Arts & Media (JAM, formerly CATV8).
This is a sampling and not an endorsement, assembled in no particular order. There are many more local Upper Valley charitable organizations, from health clinics to churches, rec. centers to libraries, art centers and museums, to humane societies and cooperative markets. The array can be dizzying, so choose wisely before you support a cause this November. Choose an organization you’ve worked with in the past, one that’s helped a friend or neighbor, or that comes recommended by a family member or other trusted source.
How else can you choose a charity? For starters, make sure at least 75% of its income is spent on programs that directly pursue the non-profit’s mission. (90% is my rule of thumb for large, mature, well-resourced legacy non-profits, and lower for smaller, younger non-profits that need “risk capital” to implement new programs and to attract/retain staff with good wages). You can also look online at the non-profit’s website for its board of directors (or board of trustees) to see if there are people you know and trust. And, if you want to dig deeper, go to a site like GuideStar which offers ratings of non-profits using a platinum, gold, silver, bronze rating, or no rating at all. Or visit Charity Navigator and plug in your favorite charity’s name to view its rating on a scale up to 100.
Want to dig further? Take a look at the non-profit’s annual report on its website to get a sense of what the organization has done and its plans for the future. How does it treat its employees? Does it offer a retirement plan? Look at its financial statements by searching online for its IRS 990 form. This is the federal form all non-profits file annually, and it’s chock full of good financial information. The non-profit, ProPublica, offers the Nonprofit Explorer website for exactly this purpose. Are the most recent audited financial statements available? Is there enough cash on hand? 25% of the annual operating budget is the generally suggested minimum. 50% is about the maximum. More than that and the non-profit may not be deploying its cash effectively toward its mission. None of this is to say non-profits shouldn’t make money, they should. In fact, generating more than they spend can help increase wages for employees who are notoriously underpaid, keeping them in good shape professionally and economically. These are the neighbors we want to have around (and who should be able to financially afford to live close to where they work) because they make our lives better, keeping us all happy and mentally well. They say charitable giving will make you feel good. Trust me, it will.
Beyond that, give it a try. Make a donation and see what happens. Do you get thanked promptly? Will someone reach out to you and ask why you donated? Will you receive an email, text, letter, or phone call welcoming you as a first-time donor? Get a newsletter? Be invited to an upcoming event? No matter the response, if you’ve done your homework and know the organization is doing good things in your local community, giving will make you feel good. And, it will help people in need who otherwise could not have been able to afford what the charity provides. That’s what philanthropy is all about — helping others. My bias has a corollary, that is, helping others locally. That way, you’ll get to see those who benefit from your support while you support our local community.
One thing I’ve found while using GuideStar and Charity Navigator is that the non-profit you seek might not be listed under the name you know. For example, West Central Behavioral Health is listed as West Central Services, Inc. on Charity Navigator. And Junction Arts & Media (JAM) is still listed as Catv, Inc. So, if at first you can’t find the charity, keep trying. Your efforts will pay dividends when you find that piece of information suggesting the cause you want to support is, indeed, worth your time, or talent, or treasure.
Above all, get actively involved in your non-profit of choice. Volunteer. That alone will bring you considerable satisfaction and fulfillment. Now, we have a whole week of giving to look forward to. November 13 - 19, 2022 is this year’s Upper Valley Philanthropy Week. Your charitable support will create an incoming tide, raising all non-profit boats to elevate spirits and our overall Upper Valley quality of life. Individually and collectively, our giving will make a difference.
Good luck, and, from a local Upper Valley non-profit manager and fundraiser, thank you, as always, for your support.
Dave Celone works in Lebanon, NH for West Central Behavioral Health as its director of development & community relations. He looks forward to National Philanthropy Week and Upper Valley Philanthropy Week in November each year, knowing so many wonderful and generous people who keep the non-profit wheels turning to help others in need.