Resolutions, pt 1

I know most people are not like me. For many, the first of the year marks a great time to begin on goals. I understand the logic behind that, I really do. It’s just not my thing. If I’m going to make a change, I’m not going to put it off until January 1.

However, for those who actually do make resolutions, I thought I would provide some ideas. Here’s the first one.

“I’m Going To Make The World A Better Place/Help People” 

Great! This is the kind of resolution I really admire, as long as you can follow through with it. I realize this can go a few different directions. Here are ideas for two major ones behind the cut.

• If you are looking to give money to an organization, there are plenty of charities that prefer monetary contributions. The only key to this is to do research ahead of time to make sure that your gift will genuinely be used the way you expect it will. One tool to help you with that is Charity Navigator (http://www.charitynavigator.org/) … It provides information on the trustworthiness of various charities while dividing them into easy-to-navigate categories. 

• Many people are concerned that their monetary gift will not be used the way they would like. A good alternative to this is to simply volunteer your time instead. After all, “time is money,” right? This is a great way to give back to your local community, rather than a nationwide or international charity. If you want to help effect a change in the place where you live, this is a great route. A simple google search can provide you with lists of nonprofits in your area if you would like to research that on your own. Or you can simply go here to Non Profit List (http://www.nonprofitlist.org/) and look up your location. I believe Non Profit List only includes organizations based in the United States, so if you live abroad it likely will not help you.