Give Globally This Season

It's hard to believe that it's already September, which means that the time is fast approaching for "giving season." The holidays always contribute to a rise in donations to charities and non-profits between November and December. With that said, there's a great Web site that makes donating a whole lot easier.

I myself have been wanting to contribute to different causes but often find it overwhelming to narrow down what social issues I want to help with. Then I came across GlobalGiving, an online marketplace that connects people to causes they are interested in while also providing progress updates so you can monitor your impact.

For me, that's the biggest selling point. As a recent college grad in an entry level position, I'm not making the big bucks, but I still want to play my part in giving back somehow. GlobalGiving breaks each donation for each charity down to emphasize that every little bit counts. For instance, the site tells you that giving $15 can help feed one elderly person for one month in Guatemala; $180 will feed one elderly person for a year and $200 will buy a maize crusher to make tortillas. I can afford $15 and know that such a small contribution can actually have an impact on someone's life.

With so many different charities out there, it's hard to know where to start. GlobalGiving aggregates all different types with helpful information about what they're trying to achieve. You can search for causes by country, by topic, by newest projects and by which projects are closest to reaching their donation goals.

The other major plus is that GlobalGiving works with legitimate organizations that must go through a due diligence review to ensure that your money is going where it should be going. The site, which is also a registered 501(c)3 organization, takes a 10 percent fee to cover operating costs while 85 to 90 percent of your donation goes straight to the charity you chose.

Not to mention, your donation is tax-deductible as well.

So as the holiday season is right around the corner, hopefully this will help make each individual experience that much easier and maybe even spur people to contribute year round.