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Giving Doesn't Have to be so Hard

February 20, 2020

Reclaiming the Power of Your "YES!"

So much of our human existence revolves around what we give to the world around us. At our core, we’re givers. We give knowledge and experience at work; we give love and kindness to family, friends and strangers; we give our time to help those in need; we give a listening ear to those needing to be heard; we give our resources – monetary or otherwise – for the betterment of others. Yet knowing when to give, how to give or why giving matters can be a challenge in any of these scenarios.

At CFT, our goal is to help you understand the ins and outs of charitable giving and think critically about how you give. We know your inbox is overflowing with financial asks and giving opportunities from dozens of worthy organizations and causes. It’s no wonder you’re having trouble giving a joyful and decisive “YES!” or “No, thank you!” to all those charitable requests. Giving doesn’t have to be so hard. CFT can help!

Now in its seventh year and one of CFT’s most popular offerings, the one-day March 7th GiveWisely class uses thought-provoking exercises to help you discover (or re-discover) your core values and how they apply to your charitable giving. Do you love photography? Ballet? Animals? There are nonprofits out there that can translate your specific passions into effective and meaningful ways to do good. GiveWisely helps you craft an energizing, highly personal approach to your giving, by bringing clarity to the values and interests that drive you.

As CFT’s Chief Relationship Officer, Monica Egert Smith puts it, “People often share with us the difficulties of determining where their charitable dollars should go. We’ve found our GiveWisely class members—whether individuals, couples or families—really enjoy coming together to develop a clearer, more effective and more enjoyable plan for their giving.”

Still need some convincing? Our class topics include:

 
  • Identifying Your Values – What are your core values? How do they show up in your giving — or do they? Discussing values, personal giving statements and charitable budgets.
  • Pinpointing Your Passions – Further identifying your philanthropic values and goals and effectively communicating your giving philosophy with family, friends and the nonprofit community.
  • Evaluating Effectiveness – Understanding community needs and assessing nonprofits to be able to choose which nonprofit is right for you. GiveWisely includes transportation to an offsite nonprofit, where you can immediately practice learnings from the day.
  • Beyond the Class: Keeping Focus and Impact in Your giving – Creating a simple plan to move forward with what you've learned in the class, finalizing your own charitable giving statement and budget.

CFT may not be able to help you discern how best to give your time and emotional support to others, but we can help you align your charitable giving with your personal values! Don’t go another year without giving clarity.

Reclaim the power of your “Yes!” by participating in our GiveWisely class on March 7th. CFT fund holders attend free of charge; Non-CFT fund holders pay a fee of $150 per person for the 1-Day Course (materials, breakfast and lunch included).

Learn More and register

Can’t attend this date but want to GiveWisely? We’re happy to host a custom session for you, your family or your business. Simply contact Elizabeth Liser to learn more, at 214-750-4234 or eliser@cftexas.org.

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