Any time of year is a good time for giving!

As Christians, the Bible instructs us to be good givers.

Some of my favorite scripture passages that speak to the importance of giving include:

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly, or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7

Honor the Lord with you wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops. Proverbs 3:9

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. Proverbs 3:27

The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously. Psalm 37:21

I could fill this page with all of the references in the Bible instructing us to give and to give generously.

But, I think as Christians, it is also important for us to give wisely.

When it comes to giving to organizations, I think of it as watering seeds. People “plant” their good works—and we bring resources to help them “grow” the good they are doing. But, as we each have a limited amount of time and money to invest, we should give with great care.

We should ensure that the charities we support are “good seed” - that they will grow and will spread the good we seek to fund.

I know that there are those who are afraid to give to charities. They hear the stories of charities that give most of their funds to salaries of those in the top positions. Or, they hoard the funds, giving only a limited amount to the work they profess to do.

This shouldn’t deter us from giving, but it should make us pause and examine the organizations we want to support.

How can you do this?

Here are a few things I do as a background check on charities I want to support:

1. I ensure that the organization is tax exempt. This can be done through the IRS’s “The Exempt Organizations Select Check Tool.” This site will verify that the organization is truly a registered nonprofit.

2. I review the organization’s financial information on Guidestar.org.

3. For well established Christian nonprofits, I check to see if they are a member of the Evangelical Council of Financial Accountability (ECFA). ECFA enhances trust in Christ-centered churches and ministries by establishing and applying seven standards of responsible stewardship to accredited organizations.

The checks don’t guarantee that the organization is using its money well. But, they offer good information to better understand how the organization uses the money it receives.

My last check is to see how others view the organization. I go to social media and see what those they serve say about the organization. Do they have people who are giving specific examples of the good the group professes to be doing? I ask friends and families if they know the organization. I listen to those in media whom I trust.

And although, even with all of this, there is no certainty that the group truly is doing good, I feel I have done my homework. And then, I give.

There is no better feeling than helping others do good. Don’t give up on giving.

Give wisely, give generously… GIVE!