This is my real profession. I am actually in the research end of fundraising, and I work ‎for a very large institution that is just completing a $1.5 million campaign.‎

I think I have some special insight into how to make your charity dollars do what you ‎want them to do.‎

Give only if you want to

That’s right, a fundraiser is telling you to give only if you want to. NEVER allow ‎yourself to be pressured or guilted into giving. That’s not what true charity is about. If ‎you give just because you are being polite, you will feel crummy about it. If you give ‎because it is heartfelt, you will feel like royalty, no matter what size the gift.‎

Give only if you have the means

You’ve heard about the 80/20 rule? Welcome to the 90/10 rule. 90% of our donations ‎came from 10% of our donor base. The truth is that most charities are overwhelmingly ‎funded by people with significant wealth. They are people who have accumulated so ‎much money, they truly don’t get a kick out of buying anything any more. What they ‎DO get a kick out of is giving it away to a cause they believe in. ‎

The rest of us -- the everyday, but generous people -- are only contributing about 10% to ‎the bucket -- all together!‎

I’m not saying this to imply that small gifts are not appreciated, or that small donors are ‎not generous. Believe me, I know, small donors are actually the MOST generous when ‎you consider the percentage of their wealth they are donating. Many million-dollar ‎donors are not particulary generous because they have $40 million more untouched in ‎their stock holdings. I think I could spare a million if I had 40 million more to live on!‎

My point is, if you are really financially stretched, for heaven’s sake, don’t feel that you ‎are obligated to donate. You will do more for the common good by taking care of your ‎own needs and those of your family.‎

Make your gift count

If you have decided you truly want to donate, then be sure your gift is going to count. ‎Check out charitywatch.org to see what organizations get high grades for administrative ‎efficiency. You don’t want to give to an organization that uses half of your money to pay ‎its officers. Also, if you are giving to a large organization, remember that you can ‎designate your gift to a certain area. If you are giving to a university, for example, you ‎can donate to the school you graduated from, or to a program that is near and dear to your ‎heart.‎

Don’t worry too much about mailing costs

On the other hand, don’t get too upset if you get multiple mailings, or if you think the ‎brochure is too nice, or if you get a freebie you don’t want. Many administrative costs ‎are actually donated and are not taking away from your gift. Don’t try to contact the ‎organization to cut down your mailing soliciations or to set restrictions. The time it takes ‎to for staff to set up and maintain special mailing instructions is more expensive than the ‎paper and postage. If you don’t want it, throw it away!‎

Send in your matching gift form

If you work for a corporation that matches your gift, be sure you send in the form. It’s ‎not necessarily done automatically. Some companies actually double or even triple your ‎gift. This is a great way to multiply the power of your gift with no added expense to you!‎

Don’t forget to claim your deduction

Your generosity will pay you back when you file your taxes. Be sure to keep your ‎receipts and remember to claim special credits. For instance, in the state of Indiana, up to ‎half of a donation to an in-state educational institution can be claimed as a credit on the ‎state tax form. Also, remember that you can claim up to $200 in charitable giving on ‎your federal form without receipts. I always claim the $200 because I donate gifts-in-‎kind regularly to Goodwill and other similar agencies, but I don’t bother with the receipts ‎unless I am giving something large and valuable (which hasn’t happened yet!)‎