All guides
Pick the one closest to the decision in front of you.
How Much Can I Afford to Give to Charity With Debt Payments?
A step-by-step way to figure out how much can I afford to give to charity with debt payments, without pretending your loan and card bills don't exist.
Read the guide →Is Charitable Giving Tax Deductible If I Don't Itemize?
The short answer to is charitable giving tax deductible if I don't itemize is usually no — here's what that actually means for your giving decisions and your recordkeeping.
Read the guide →How to Vet a Charity Before You Donate
A practical guide on how to vet a charity before you donate — real signals to check in about ten minutes, not gimmicks or a ranked list.
Read the guide →What Is a Donor-Advised Fund and How Does It Work?
A plain-English answer to what is a donor-advised fund and how does it work, including the fees, the tax timing, and who it actually makes sense for.
Read the guide →Recurring Monthly Donations vs. One-Time Gifts: Which Is Better?
Weighing recurring monthly donations vs one time gifts which is better for your actual budget, not just for the charity's fundraising goals.
Read the guide →Does My Employer Match Charitable Donations?
How to find out does my employer match charitable donations, why most eligible employees never claim it, and exactly how to submit a match request.
Read the guide →What Fees Do Online Donation Platforms Actually Charge?
A plain look at what fees do online donation platforms actually charge, how they're usually structured, and how to make sure more of your gift reaches the cause.
Read the guide →Does Debt Consolidation Free Up Money to Donate More?
An honest look at whether debt consolidation frees up money to donate more, including the real cases where it does not help at all.
Read the guide →The Debt-Aware Giving Budget Worksheet
This free download walks through the same debt-aware method used across this site: what to subtract before you set a giving number, how to check a charity, and what to ask before a recurring commitment or a larger one-time gift.