A request was made: "How to be strategic about philanthropy. How do I make the most of the money I have to donate?"

1. The first idea, is don't just give your money, give your time and get involved. Even if you have no money to give, you can donate your time to many organizations. Some organizations even ask for skills such as computer, secretarial, administrative, etc... After you work with an organization for a while, you may even be asked to be a board member which can set the future goals and activities of the organization.

2. Do something local if possible. Yes, you can send your money around the world, but there are needs in your own community.

3. Sponsor a child. A few years ago, I had the pleasure of being a cosultant at Compassion International, based in Colorado Springs. They have created a huge network of partner organizations around the world to help identify children in need, and to help properly use the funds for those children. It's a small investment of only $32 per month.

I'm not married and have no children, so right now I have sponsored two children. You might ask yourself, what can I do to help the world. Although $32 may not save the world, it's a small tangible step, and if everybody did it, the world would be a different place. Imagine if each family in the USA would each sponsor one child! (See http://Compassion.com). On the website, you can actually view children. You can search for male/female, select a country or age range. So for example, if you have a heart for 5 year old girls in Indonesia, you can probably find a child in that category.

The cool thing to me is that when you pick a child, it will be running through some software that I helped create. "Compassion" will send you a picture of your child, and the sponsored child will write letters to you (and they are translated to English), and often send drawings, and you, in turn, can write to your child, either on paper or via the internet.

You can put the child's picture on your fridge to remember to pray for him. But with "Compassion International" your prayers are being followed-up by your monetary action.

I once heard the story about a lady on the beach who saw that some starfish had washed ashore, and were being deprived of water and would die. She was picking up one at a time, and throwing them back into the water. A man came along, and asked what she was doing. After she explained, he scoffed at her and said that she couldn't possibly help or save all the starfish. She picked up another one, and threw it in the water, and said, "No, maybe not. But to this starfish, it made all the difference in the world."

See the Compassion International video below. "I cannot change the world, but I can change the life of one child."

If this hub page moves you to take action and actually sponsor a child, PLEASE post a comment and let me know!