Mercy Corps: Three Tips for Holiday Giving

Think of your donation as an investment, not a gift

Portland, Ore. — With just six days left for Americans to take advantage of a charitable tax deduction for 2017, Mercy Corps wants all donors and friends to know whom they are supporting when they donate, and to think about how best their gift will be used.

“We want people to consider their charitable gift an investment in a brighter future and a better world, not simply a donation,” says Graham Craft, Interim Chief Development and Marketing Officer at Mercy Corps. “Supporters should take the time to understand where their gift will have the greatest impact.”

Mercy Corps offers three essential tips for donors:

1. Get the facts about the charity you’ve chosen. Visit its website and also use charity watchdogs like GuideStar, Charity Watch, the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance and Charity Navigator to understand how it stacks up. All four watchdog groups give Mercy Corps top ratings for effectiveness, transparency and accountability.

2. Know how your money will be used. Your financial gift to Mercy Corps helps empower people in more than 40 countries to survive crisis and build stronger communities. Eighty-seven percent of your donation is channeled directly into our programs around the world, far exceeding the Better Business Bureau’s minimum standard of 65 percent.

3. Track your investment. As you would when investing in property, the stock market or a business, keep track of how the charity you’re supporting uses your gift. It should help the organization make a lasting impact. Last year, Mercy Corps reached 20 million people with life-saving humanitarian assistance and effective development programs that connected people to the resources and knowledge they need to transform their communities. Take an active interest in the organization you support by visiting its website often and signing up to receive newsletters to inform your giving.

“We want supporters to know their gift is more than a short-term, feel-good gesture,” Craft says. “It’s an investment in a better world and a vote of confidence in an organization’s ability to make that better world possible.”

Join us and support Mercy Corps’ work around the world.