Matanah       

Now you have a good idea, and you want to convince yourself and us that it is a great organization and they will use your donation wisely. 

We have designed an application form to help us understand  the substance of your gift. Philanthropy is not simply money that one puts in the mail and forgets about, but a donation that helps an organization achieve its stated goals.

You, the grantor, are trying to understand how your grantee organization can achieve its charitable mission with the help of your gift and others it receives. Almost all charities have websites or will mail information to you if you call or write.  They want to raise money for their cause and are used to donors asking them questions.

We are asking you to think about the following ideas, which are important to all philanthropists:

 •     Importance of the organization to the purpose it serves.   Can it make a difference?

 •     Potential program impact. Does it help specific people now, or does it have a more diffuse, or forward-thinking mission?  (Both are worthy, but which interests you?)

 •     Responsibility of the grantee organization. Does it use its funds wisely?  Does it evaluate itself?  How do you know if it is doing a good job?

How will we decide whether to fund you?

We think about several things when we fund a charitable cause:  Is the organization’s work worthwhile and useful to those it helps? Do they have clearly stated financial needs?  Are they fiscally responsible (do they spend their donations carefully?).  Did you do a good job of research and understanding your charity?