{"id":2452310,"date":"2019-12-17T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-17T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=317778"},"modified":"2019-12-17T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-12-17T07:00:00","slug":"giving-thought-start-with-the-why-to-determine-what-causes-to-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/giving-thought-start-with-the-why-to-determine-what-causes-to-support\/","title":{"rendered":"Giving Thought: Start with the \u2018why\u2019 to determine what causes to support"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
Tamara Tormohlen<\/strong>
Steve Mundinger<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Charitable organizations collect the lion\u2019s share of their donations during the \u201cgiving season,\u201d the time between Thanksgiving and the New Year. Most nonprofits are sending out their annual appeals and, quite frankly, the number of printed letters and email pleas one receives can be overwhelming. No one can give to every deserving charity, so the discarded \u201cwe need your help\u201d materials often leave behind a residue of guilt. Fortunately, there\u2019s an alternative to those remorseful feelings.<\/p>\n

Meet Danielle Howard, a financial planner who takes a uniquely personal and holistic approach to money management. \u201cGiving and sharing are foundational parts of a healthy financial life,\u201d she says, and she encourages her clients to incorporate giving \u2014 whether it\u2019s money, volunteer time or expertise \u2014 into their lives and their budgets.<\/p>\n

Charitable giving comes in all shapes and sizes, from simply writing a check to actually building homes and wilderness trails. Some of us give to schools or youth programs, while others are more attuned to the environment or social justice issues. In Howard\u2019s view, the key element is identifying the mission or cause that matters most to you.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you passionate about?\u201d she asks. \u201cIf you\u2019re reading the paper or watching the news, what brings you to tears or makes you angry? That\u2019s where you should put your money, time or expertise.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are also different kinds of givers. Some are systematic and prefer to give a little every month to one or more chosen organizations. Others like to set aside money in their budget for giving, but dole out money more spontaneously, to a fund drive they just heard about, or a cause that a Facebook friend suggests.<\/p>\n

Some individuals are motivated by religious or spiritual practices; others may have experienced a health issue or family challenge that made a deep impact. There is no right or wrong in how or where you give. The key is to be deliberate and intentional about it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are only so many hours in a day and so many dollars in the bank,\u201d Howard says. \u201cIf you\u2019re using some of your money in service of your core values, then you\u2019re going to be happier. You won\u2019t be giving out of guilt or compulsion or other reasons that we can fall into.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here is a question that Howard likes to ask her clients: What would you do if you knew you couldn\u2019t fail at it? Perhaps that thing \u2014 whether it\u2019s saving whales or curing cancer \u2014 is where you should invest some time or money.<\/p>\n

Another thing she strongly recommends is an \u201cattitude of gratitude,\u201d which can be a truly liberating force in our lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you appreciate what you have in every area of life \u2014 relationships, work, material possessions, financial resources, health, etc. \u2014 it frees you from the constant pursuit of more and gives you the freedom to share what you have,\u201d Howard says.<\/p>\n

So, if you want to give and share but don\u2019t know how or where to put your energy, if you\u2019re dazed and confused by all those nonprofit pleas in your email inbox, then consider creating a personal mission statement or giving plan to organize your approach. Being clear and intentional about your chosen cause or organizations will feel good. And, on a more practical level, it will enable you to say \u201cno\u201d to the pleas that don\u2019t fit.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re having trouble deciding how much you can afford or navigating other details of your plan, then call a financial adviser. Maybe you don\u2019t know whether to give now, while you\u2019re healthy and can see the impacts of your generosity, or to make your gifts part of your estate. Many people work with attorneys and financial planners to coordinate gifts that occur after they die.<\/p>\n

Whatever your financial situation, giving is a good thing. The details are up to you, and the more thought and care you put into your giving, the better it will serve your values and warm your heart.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe research is out there that more money doesn\u2019t bring you more happiness, and we know you can\u2019t take it with you,\u201d Howard says. \u201cIf we\u2019re mindful about where our money goes and grateful for the opportunity we have to choose where it goes, then it creates an upward spiral.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tamara Tormohlen is executive director of Aspen Community Foundation.<\/p>\n

via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tamara TormohlenSteve Mundinger Charitable organizations collect the lion\u2019s share of their donations during the \u201cgiving season,\u201d the time between Thanksgiving and the New Year. Most nonprofits are sending out their annual appeals and, quite frankly, the number of printed letters and email pleas one receives can be overwhelming. No one can give to every deserving […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2452310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-19 01:59:31","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley's Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2452310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2452310"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2452310\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2452310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2452310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2452310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}