Giving will soon get even better

‘Tis the season to open your hearts and your wallets to a wide array of good causes.

But if you’ve ever asked yourself if your charitable giving is really making a lasting difference, you’re not alone.

We’re committing a journalistic sin today by bringing an important issue to your attention without filling in all the blanks. That’s because the question being considered — how effective is my charitable giving, really? — isn’t quite ready to be answered. But we want to assure you, a lot of good, hard work and high-level thinking is going on right now. The results could end up being dramatic and fantastic.

Here at the beginning of the 2018 holiday season, a time equated with kindness and generosity, a nonprofit group led by an amazing woman is preparing to offer free consultations that can transform the way local charities operate, donors give and recipients truly benefit. That’s needed. With literally hundreds of nonprofits in North Idaho, many of them are competing for a finite level of giving and producing what, exactly?

What if there’s a better way?

Let’s be honest: Most of us donate because it makes us feel good. But what kind of impact does our generosity truly have? Do our gifts solve problems in the short term only? Despite our best intentions, are we perpetuating the “hand out” mindset versus the “hand up” approach that can actually lead to people improving themselves and their lot in life?

When this new organization is ready to raise the curtain, you will read all about it here. It’s our belief that this effort will reshape the local charitable landscape to the benefit of dozens of nonprofits, thousands of good-hearted donors and, most importantly, to those who need some help along the way.

Who knows? Maybe it’ll change the world.