Two good causes walk into the ring. Only one gets this month's donation. Score four rounds and let the scorecard call it... no coin flip required.
Slide left for the blue corner, right for the red corner. Dead center means it's a toss-up... and toss-ups go to whoever needs the reminder that giving isn't a spectator sport.
Which cause actually matches what your family cares about, prays about, and talks about at the dinner table?
Is it a qualified 501(c)(3)? Can you fund it with appreciated stock or a donor-advised fund instead of cash out of pocket?
How much of every dollar actually reaches the mission versus paying for the mission's own upkeep?
Do you know someone this cause has actually helped? Skin in the game changes how a gift feels every year, not just this one.
A winning cause deserves a winning strategy: appreciated stock, a donor-advised fund, or a bunching year can all change what your gift actually costs you. That's a conversation for a tax accountant, not a scorecard.