The bigger bang theory: Where charitable donations can make the most community impact

Angel, 10, has become the poster child for the ability of charitable organizations to help families regain their stability and become contributing members of the community.

Angel and her younger brother, Achillis, were living in the backseat of their parents’ car on the streets of Seattle on a cold and damp November night, hoping for an extra pair of warm socks, while her parents huddled in the front seat and prayed for a miracle.

“We were ready to give up when we called 211, the health and human services referral number in Washington state,” their mother Renay Ferguson remembered. “They gave us more than just a handout and a warm bed for the night. We moved into the Hopelink shelter in Kenmore. We had hot water and real beds for the kids.”

Once the family had food and shelter, Hopelink helped Ferguson and her husband find jobs. Ferguson began working in the supply room at a local hospital, and her husband, Ronald George, secured a position as a driver for Habitat for Humanity.

The organization also helped the young family repair their finances and apply for permanent low-income housing.

The family wanted to do more than just say thank you for the generosity.

“We’ve come full-circle,” Ferguson said proudly. “Ronald and I now volunteer at the Hopelink food bank in Shoreline.”

Ferguson and George have also sponsored a complete two-bedroom apartment through Hopelink, providing all the essentials, from pots and pans to bedding, to help another family in crisis.

She said her family is living proof that charity can make a difference.

“Once people are stable, we focus on helping them gain the skills they need to exit poverty permanently,” spokesperson Kris Betker said.

She added that Hopelink offers adult education classes for GED prep and English in the Workplace, as well as family development case managers who establish and monitor goals for each member of the family.

Betker said 509 families were helped by Hopelink during the past year. She proclaimed that 72 percent of the participants who went through the program in 2013 have been able to maintain stable housing.

Hopelink is just one of 275 nonprofit organizations in the Puget Sound region that strive to provide tangible results for each charitable dollar they receive through donations. The Redmond-based program serves more than 65,000 people every year through food banks, energy assistance programs, temporary shelters and transportation.

The winter holidays and year-end tax deductions have made December the biggest month of the year for individual and corporate giving. Charitable organizations across the country reported an all-time high of $358.38 billion in donations for the year, an increase of more than 7 percent, compared to the totals for 2013, according to the Annual Report on Philanthropy from Giving USA 2015.

Individuals made three-fourths of the donations. Religious organizations represented the single largest category of charities receiving tax-exempt dollars, garnishing 32 percent of all contributions ($115 million).

Education was the next largest sector, with 15 percent of all donations. Charities that focused on environmental and animal issued saw an increase of 7 percent, to $10.5 billion, during the last calendar year.

International causes were the only area of giving that saw a decrease in 2013. The 2-percent decline may have been the result of fewer natural disasters.

Specific goals

United Way of King County has taken a different approach to providing a safety net for the poor. Communications director Jared Erlandson said the umbrella organization maximizes the impact of each donation by focusing on specific goals.

“We have big ambitions and only a finite number of dollars,” Erlandson said. “In King County, we are committed to reduce homelessness by 50 percent and work toward having 80 percent of children ready to learn when they enter kindergarten.”

According to Erlandson, the strength of the nationwide organization allows United Way to return 80 percent of every donated dollar back to the community in the form of social service programs.

Many of the programs operate through endowments from major corporate sponsors. He singled out a program operated with funding from Kodak that has utilized peer counseling to boost the graduation rate in New York City by 40 percent.

“Individual donors in King County can make a contribution earmarked for United Way for a specific of concern, whether they want to help Planned Parenthood or a small program that provides transportation for seniors,” Erlandson said.

The Seattle Foundation represents a coalition of community organizations and philanthropists who have combined their money and passions to make long-term investments to promote a stronger and more vibrant community.

The Seattle Foundation’s director of marketing services, Erica Klinger, explained that her organization manages more than $800 million in grants for groups that share the agency’s vision for King County and the region. The Seattle Foundation oversees 10 percent of the $392 million Best Start for Kids Program approved by King County voters in the November election.

The Seattle Foundation staff vets more than 17,000 nonprofit groups based on causes that align with the organization’s mission. It recently launched an educational program designed to educate and inspire future philanthropists.

Judge the impact

Jeff Clarke, CEO of Philanthropy NW, recommends researching a charity before opening your checkbook. He said the cost ratio of expenses is not the best way to judge the impact an organization makes in the community. Judge the group, he said, based on results.

“Start out by determining what issues you care about and at what scale — local, statewide, national or global. Then do some research,” Clarke said. “Talk to friends and neighbors who share similar values. Does the organization tell a clear story about what they do and what results they are delivering? If you have questions, call the organization directly and ask questions. They should be willing to talk to any prospective donor.”

Clarke stressed that the vast majority of nonprofits are run by “smart, hardworking folks who really do care about making sure your support is used well.”

He added that foundations in each community are a great place to connect with high-quality nonprofits that have already been vetted by the foundation.

A list of community foundations in Washington is available online at philanthropynw.org/networks/community-foundations.

Whether you’d prefer to make your charitable contributions in the form of cash, in groceries at the local food bank or in sweat equity at a construction site, it’s important to remember that charities need help all year long.

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