As the holidays rear their head and charities plead for consideration during this upcoming season of giving, many donors find themselves immobilized—and understandably so—by uncertainty and the donation dilemma.
There are thousands of worthy causes that could use your aid, but you can’t possibly give to them all. In a world with so much pressing need, it can feel daunting to decide what to do and where to give. How do you determine where your donations will make the most impact?
Why Choosing Where to Give Feels So Hard
If you’ve ever found yourself facing the donation dilemma, you’re by no means alone. Decision paralysis is unfortunately common when it comes to charitable giving: there are myriad issues to address and tons of charities dedicated to those issues to choose from.
For many, even learning about those in need can lead to stress, overwhelm, and compassion fatigue, which makes taking the first step even harder. It’s difficult to act when potential donations feel like a drop in a perpetually-leaking bucket. It’s even more challenging to act when it feels as though there are too many buckets to count.
Additionally, 2025 has brought even more pain points into the equation: due to federal funding cuts, donation deductibility tax changes, government shutdowns, and continuous economic disruptions, there are countless vulnerable, underserved communities in need both at home and abroad. With each new political, legislative, or fiscal upheaval, another group becomes impacted. This compounding donation dilemma leaves many wondering: where can my gift truly make a difference?
The Better Giving Guide
But fret not! If you’re struggling to weigh charitable options and move past donation paralysis, The Life You Can Save can help. We’ve created a resource donors like you can turn to when tackling these major decisions.
Introducing: The Better Giving Guide.
This practical framework can empower you with the skills and information you need to cut through the donation dilemma and confusion, and give with clarity, confidence, and efficiency. At a time when every dollar can make an extraordinary difference, The Better Giving Guide can help you navigate this giving season’s decisions with confidence.
What’s in it?
The guide is a tool that helps donors navigate the donation dilemma and reflects on giving patterns and goals, while teaching us how to best evaluate the many variables at play when donating. With questions to ask, resources to reference, and factors to consider, The Better Giving Guide ensures every act of giving counts.
Give where your impact is certain.
With The Better Giving Guide’s, you’ll have a giving framework that supports you on your impact journey for years to come. The world may feel overwhelming and insurmountable right now, but you can still make meaningful change. The Better Giving Guide offers simple, informed considerations to assist in turning compassion and intention into effective charity.
Why you can trust us.
The Life You Can Save analyzes data across several dimensions of poverty to identify the best financial interventions, then identifies the highest-impact charities delivering those interventions, ensuring your donation always gets the most bang for its buck. This history of research and vetting informs the practical insights within The Better Giving Guide and serves as the backbone of its structure.
Click here to download The Better Giving Guide
Lastly, if you’re passionate about fighting against extreme poverty like we are at The Life You Can Save, we hope you’ll use The Better Giving Guide and our research-backed charity recommendations when it’s time to give. Extreme poverty may have declined significantly over the past 50 years, but millions of people still lack adequate food, shelter, education, and even basic health care. We have a wealth of data to identify where poverty hits hardest and up-to-date evidence to understand what type of giving leads to the most impact.
Turn Dilemma into Impact
Uncertainty and the donation dilemma shouldn’t be an obstacle to giving. If anything, it’s a great opportunity: by becoming informed and checking in with your goals, you’ll not only donate more confidently, but you’ll feel more self-assured in the face of an ever-shifting political and financial landscape, too.
Moreover, during a time where individuals feel siloed and communities feel fractured, giving can help you feel part of a community with global horizons. You’re not alone when facing the donation dilemma, and you won’t have to be alone when making charitable decisions. We’ve got your back.
When the state of the world throws you for a loop, we’ve found informed generosity to be the best antidote. Even modest contributions can impact individuals and families in need, and with The Better Gift Guide, those contributions can be made with confidence. We hope this trusty resource helps this holiday season feel like an opportunity, not a dilemma.
Remember that your gift can always move the needle, no matter how small. By using The Better Giving Guide, your donation can have a massive impact. We hope you’ll trust in us this holiday season, and many more seasons to come.
