Millennial Money: Sustain generosity beyond the holidays

2020 asked a lot from us. We faced new challenges and reckoned with old ones, and often the world’s problems collided with our own individual needs. Help — whether in donations or even just attention — might’ve been hard to give when you required some yourself.

If your finances are in better shape this giving season, you can be more strategic with your dollars. The same issues you felt strongly about last year may not be on your priority list now. Perhaps the reverse is true — you’re more determined than ever to support the causes you care about.

Here are tips on prioritizing causes, supporting them effectively and making room in your wallet for sustained giving.

YOUR PRIORITIES CAN SHAPE YOUR PLAN

Write down the two or three causes that matter most to you, whether it’s a global issue like slowing down climate change or something closer to home, like supporting your local animal shelter. This is the start of your giving plan. If you’re anything like me, a giving plan may serve as a guidepost for your dollars when tragic news events clamor for your attention or injured puppy photos on your social media feed play on your emotions. I end up making impulsive donations, which are helpful and feel good at the moment, but they’re easy to forget and don’t make a lasting impact.

You might also go bigger and really focus on your values in the giving plan, using them as fuel to be more intentional and proactive with your efforts beyond the holidays.

Think about the kind of philanthropist you want to be in 2022 and then plan for it, says Holly Belkot, manager of strategic giving at GlobalGiving, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., that supports other nonprofits by connecting them to donors and companies.

Planning doesn’t just apply to monetary donations or time spent...