National Philanthropic Trust Shares Key Tips for Donors on #GivingTuesday and Throughout Giving Season 2013

JENKINTOWN, Pa., Nov. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In anticipation of #GivingTuesday on December 3, 2013, the philanthropy experts at National Philanthropic Trust – a #GivingTuesday partner and one of the Top 25 grantmaking institutions in the US – are sharing four important tips to maximize financial donations this year.

In 2011, giving in the US totaled $217.79 billion, according to Giving USA's 2012 Report, much of which is donated in the last quarter of the year.   

"#GivingTuesday and #GivingTuesdayPHL, the effort we helped lead in the Philadelphia area, are great reasons to support causes important to you," said Eileen Heisman, a member of the #GivingTuesday advisory committee and CEO of National Philanthropic Trust.  "The tips I developed help donors with $20, $200 or $2,000 to give this year.  They are the solution to a frequent challenge – knowing how to donate to make the most impact."

Four tips to "Giving with Your Head & Heart": 

1. Ask yourself what is important to you; find causes that support your interests and take a few minutes to learn about those charities.  Do not simply give to any charity that asks. 

2. Make larger donations to fewer charities – it will have more impact.

3. If you like the charity and its mission, consider giving an unrestricted gift.  Helping charities to keep the lights on is an important part of supporting an organization.

4. Follow up with your chosen charities to see what impact they have made.  Leverage social media for regular updates from those charities.  Use that information to help guide you in your donation strategy during the next #GivingTuesday.

About National Philanthropic Trust
NPT was founded in 1996. Since that time, it has raised over $3.4 billion in charitable contributions and currently manages over $1.7 billion in charitable assets.  NPT has made over 85,000 grants totaling $1.8 billion to charities all over the world and ranks among the 25 largest grant-making institutions in the United States.  NPT publishes the DAF Report, which is a unique, annual compilation and analysis of charitable organizations that sponsor donor-advised funds.  As a partner of #GivingTuesday, NPT led the way to bringing the movement to Philadelphia (#GTPHL) in 2013.  NPTrust.org.

For more information about #GivingTuesday, visit www.GivingTuesday.org.

SOURCE National Philanthropic Trust