500 is a huge milestone to achieve. BBB Wise Giving Alliance is proud to note that over nine years ago, Wise Giving Wednesday began on January 14, 2015. The vast majority of topics focused on building trust for both donors and charities. Trust is of essential importance to contributors in their giving decisions. It is also reflected in our organization’s stated mission of strengthening public confidence in charities by promoting wise giving and trustworthy charity practices.  Looking back over the thousands of words cumulatively written for this feature, we found some common themes and lessons that we would like to share below.

Be mindful of overly emotional giving decisions. Many of us are compelled to immediately help those in need, especially after tragedies impacting a large population. That’s understandable but we need to remember that is when we can be most vulnerable to questionable solicitors. Taking the time to check out charities before you donate is one of the best things you can do to avoid trouble and help ensure your generosity will achieve the results you expect.

Disasters create giving opportunities. With each passing year, disasters appear to occur more frequently. Two points of advice are worth repeating on this subject. Giving to charities experienced in addressing the type of needed relief can help speed assistance. But it is also important to remember that there are long-term recovery needs that welcome support. Sadly, these are sometimes overlooked by donors.

Standards provide a valuable benchmark. Initially, Wise Giving Wednesday explained how we implement the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability in our evaluative reports on charities. These standards continue to play a key role in our work in strengthening trust. We encourage both donors and charities to learn about these guidelines so they can better understand our approach to reporting.

Visit the Heart of Giving Podcast for a Deeper Dive. By coincidence, the Heart of Giving Podcast hosted by Art Taylor, BBB Wise Giving Alliance’s President & CEO, is also having an anniversary. This past week the podcast featured its 200^th program. Listen to these detailed interviews to learn more about giving and other aspects of philanthropy.

Sample our improved information access. Take a moment to sample our new AskGive.org AI tool that appears on our homepage. This is an interactive digital window that uses information contained in this website, such as all 500 Wise Giving Wednesday posts, all 200 Heart of Giving Podcasts, and accesses them to provide answers and advice to your giving questions.

Adapt to future giving. As philanthropy and charity accountability evolve, we will continue to harness our experience and commitment to further help your donation choices and strengthen public confidence in charities. Thank you for your continuing interest.