The most popular True North Business Consulting newsletter  and video is on the topic of charities.  The holiday season is a good time to revisit the topic and update it.  First, as a business you may want to choose one or two charities to support- a local food bank, a larger organization or something personal.  When you choose a charity to support you want to do some homework.

First, check the grade of your charity.  Charity Navigator (http://www.charitynavigator.org) provides information on where funds go in each charity.  For example the American Red Cross gets 3 out of 4 stars versus Feeding of America gets 4 stars.  Why the difference? Possibly expenses or salaries could be an issue.

Second, make sure you agree with the mission of the organization.  You may be a pet lover and want to link to an animal shelter, but you should see if it is a no-kill shelter if you believe that is important.

Charitable giving can also be to your benefit.  Not in the way that is makes you feel that you are helping others, but it may help your business. Try to choose a charity with an active website or social media program that is willing to recognize your business as a contributor (a link back to your webpage would be great).  If the charity has a newsletter, then ask to be featured. This may be easier with a smaller organization than a larger organization.