Richard Zahn, ZMG Construction leader, concurs with this advice, noting that meaningful giving is imperative for any philanthropist. "I give because charity is an important part of supporting a community," he said. "I recommend finding a charity or a worthwhile organization to give your resources to that is personally meaningful to you but also one that supports the community."
According to Richard Zahn, charitable giving looks different for every individual, keeping in mind their talents and resources. He mentions that community leaders with ample time to give can host donation drives or organize walks or runs for charity, whereas businesses or individuals with sufficient resources may find financial contributions are the best fit. The first piece of advice the article stresses is relevance: "We've all been hit up for donations by friends, coworkers and roommates' aunts who are going to rock that walkathon. Sometimes, we give based on our gut or happen to love the person doing the fundraising. That's fine, but you want to avoid blowing your give-to-charity budget without absolute confidence that your money is making a real difference."
Richard Zahn adds, "Ask yourself a few questions, like how does your sense of community factor into your giving? Or, are there specific issues you feel compelled to help address? Identifying causes you are passionate about is the first step." The article highlights the importance of measuring the organization's impact: "If you're deciding between two organizations that address the same issue, keep in mind that one may serve more clients, but the other might have a longer-lasting impact on fewer people." Sustainability is another important factor in charitable giving, and Richard Zahn, ZMG Construction former CEO, notes that philanthropists will want to give to nonprofits with the ability to sustain themselves.
"You don't want to invest in a company that is solely dependent on asking for more money," he said. The report weighs in on the need to assess excellence in management and operations, as business leaders can "get a sense of how tightly an organization's ship is run by looking at any public facilities it runs to see if the space is clean, safe and inviting." Richard Zahn, ZMG Construction former CEO, encourages philanthropists to look at the staff to get a sense of who's behind the cause.
ABOUT:
Richard Zahn, ZMG Construction former CEO, values charitable giving as an important way to impact his community. As a construction professional who has built a solid reputation in numerous industries, Zahn has amassed impressive skill sets in real estate development, law enforcement and health care. Most recently, he has taken on efforts in the real estate industry by leveraging his experiences and training to effectively execute a wide range of initiatives.
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