Smart Donors...Make a Difference

Table of Contents

  • Module One - Your Giving Roadmap

    Welcome to Smart Donors… Make a Difference, the short course that will empower you to make more thoughtful and effective decisions about your charitable giving – and feel more satisfaction about the difference you are making.

    • Chapter One - WHY DOES GENEROSITY FEEL GOOD?
    • Chapter Two - THE MISTAKES WE MAKE
    • Chapter Three - WHAT KIND OF DONOR ARE YOU?
    • Chapter Four - The Benefits of a Giving Strategy
    • Case Study - Cause Marketing
  • Module Two - WHAT INTERESTS YOU?

    The single most important decision you can make to ensure your gift makes a difference is choosing the right cause and, especially, the right issue area within that cause.

    • Chapter One - CHOOSING A CAUSE
    • Chapter Two - SELECTING YOUR ISSUE AREA
    • Chapter Three - VALIDATING YOUR CHOICE
  • Module Three - WHY IS IT HAPPENING?

    This module offers simple tools for donors to better understand the issue they have selected before deciding which solution to support.

    • Chapter One - FRAMING AN ISSUE
    • Chapter Two - Understanding an issue within its ecosystem
    • Case Study 1 - YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT IN KENYA
    • Chapter Three - DRAWING A LANDSCAPE MAP
    • Case Study 2 - SOLVING HOMELESSNESS IN ORANGE COUNTY, CA
  • Module Four - HOW TO MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN

    This module will show you different the different approaches you can use to help make change happen through the organizations or initiatives you support.

    • Chapter One - PATHWAYS TO CHANGE
    • Case Study - ADVOCACY ON A SHOESTRING
  • Module Five - WHO IS DOING THIS?

    In this overview of the American non-profit sector, you will get a sense of the main players and key trends in charitable giving today.

    • Chapter One - THE AMERICAN CHARITABLE SECTOR
    • Mythbuster - OVERHEAD COSTS
  • Module Six - What is Impact?

    “Impact” is one of the most misused (and misunderstood) terms in charitable giving. This module is a primer on the basic concepts smart donors should grasp to understand if they are making a difference.

    • Chapter One - Measuring Results
    • Chapter Two - Evaluating Results
    • Chapter Three - Analyzing a Website
    • Mythbuster - Cost per Head
  • Module Seven - Who is Making the Most Difference?

    By this point, you will have chosen a cause and issue area within it, performed enough basic research about the issue to know which approaches and solutions you wish to support, and created a short list of organizations that fulfill these criteria. In this module, you’ll learn how to determine which of these is making the most difference so you can make a well-informed final selection.

    • Chapter 1 - USING AN EQUITY LENS
    • Case Study 1 - THE CASE OF THE CONFUSING NAMES
    • Case Study 2 - Big, Medium & Small - Which Should I Choose?
    • Chapter 2 - SELECTING A HIGH PERFORMING ORGANIZATION
  • Conclusion - How to Engage?

    This final session will help you complete your roadmap and will also highlight ways – beyond a donations – you can make a difference.

    • Chapter 1 - HOW TO ENGAGE
    • Chapter 2 - FINALIZING YOUR ROADMAP