Philanthropy is a good thing, no matter how you cut it; philanthropy can be a very, very daunting thing as well. From arts organizations, religious affiliations, soup kitchens and social welfare groups, to wildlife preservation & animal rescues, scientific research, universities, and more, there is a lot to choose from!

Here at dramatis personae, I believe very much in giving back to your local, state, and national communities. Heck, give back to your international community, too! After Hurricane Katrina, myself and most of my loved ones benefited greatly from philanthropic efforts from around the world: kind people donating clothes, food, lodging, and transportation; countries donating dollars for rebuilding, repair, supplies to make the nights go more quickly. While it was never smooth or easy, every little effort, even the kind smiles and hugs, went very appreciated.

Things to consider when looking for an organization to donate time or money to:

• Start locally! Many local non-profits are going to be much more strapped for financial donations, material goods, and volunteer labor. This gives you the instant gratification of seeing your good deeds go to work and influence your home community.
• Identify your interests. What do you think are good “Public Goods” to support? What do you see as an unnourished resource in your community? Public Goods are things we feel are necessary to our community, but may not necessarily want to pay for– from sidewalks and street lights to a government funded mural project. An easy way to tell whether or not an organization is right for you is to read their mission statement. A mission statement (or vision statement) will tell you the organizations purpose and goals, along with how they intend on reaching those. Having a background in Arts Administration, my obvious interests lie in supporting arts organizations– from galleries and museums to performing arts and music. However, if I were to take a step beyond that, I find that animal rights and environmental concerns are my next great area of interest.
• Beware those that say high overhead costs are bad! Overhead costs are going to vary based on organization– a museum is going to have much higher overhead costs than a soup kitchen. To collect and properly store artifacts and art, things like security, climate control, lighting, and storage all have to be paid for. In this case, high overhead is a good thing, as it means the museum is doing all it can to maintain a safe environment.
• Research your institution! This is directly linked to the above, but look in to things like the overhead, how much goes to employee salaries, programming, and more. Most registered nonprofit organizations are required to make their Annual Report available to the public, and this is where you can find all of this information. Typically it will be set up like a spreadsheet, balancing the money they bring in with their expenses. Ideally, a strong organization will run with no deficit, but also with no surplus of funds at the end of the year (as a surplus means that they aren’t living up to their mission).
• Consider ways to give back! Not all organizations are in sole need of only money and supplies. Often times, donating your time can be one of the most rewarding aspects. Consider volunteering at as an usher at a performing arts house– chances are you’ll get to see the performance for free and many art houses offer opportunities to earn free guest tickets!

Now that you’ve got an idea of the basics, where to move on to?

Well, here are some of my own tried & true organizations; one that I have donated to in the past or intend on donating to in the future:

The Green Project & it’s “Recycle for the Arts” program. New Orleans is the one place I have considered my home, and though Hurricane Katrina was 3 years ago, it is still in need of love & nourishment–particularly it’s thriving artistic heritage!

The World Wildlife Federation: I think this can be a great way to get younger people involved with philanthropy, through programs like their Adopt-An-Animal programs. I remember having a whale adopted for me in my youth, and I adored it. Heck, ask Miss Malaprop how excited she was to receive an octopus for Christmas one year!

At the end of each year, dramatis personae will give back 25% of all her affiliate earnings to one of the aforementioned non-profit organizations (and this is on top of her 25% donation from tax returns).