How to maximize your charitable donations

Research your nonprofit

Because some organizations are more effective than others, it's important to vet charities you're considering making a donation to.

An easy way to determine if a charitable organization is credible and trustworthy is to review its charity ratings on websites like Charity Navigator and GuideStar. You can also review the Wise Giving Alliance, a service of the Better Business Bureau (BBB), to see if your chosen organization is an accredited charity. Verifying a charity’s credibility helps ensure your donation is used effectively.

St. Jude patient Eri'Elle

Maximize your charitable impact through fundraising

Whether through a simple Facebook campaign or a full-fledged charity event, bringing people together through fundraising is a great way to maximize your charitable impact. When planning your fundraising campaign, be sure to leverage tools such as:

compelling storytelling
online donation hubs and diverse fundraising channels
peer-to-peer fundraising techniques

Combining your philanthropic efforts with friends, family and your broader community can enhance your ability to create greater positive changes for those in need.

Start a Fundraiser

Get your workplace involved

Another way to maximize your charitable donations and expand your philanthropic reach is to explore workplace giving opportunities. Depending on your employer, you may be eligible to sign up for an employer-matching program, participate in workplace fundraisers or even start a new employee-giving program.

Explore Workplace Giving

St. Jude patient Avyan with his mom

St. Jude patient Kenadie stands next to her mom in a colorful hospital waiting room. — St. Jude patient **Kenadie** and her mom

Make tax-advantageous donations

Taking advantage of charitable tax deductions can help you make the most of your charitable impact. The savings you create by claiming those deductions can even be allocated toward a future donation. For example, donations made to St. Jude are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

You may also be interested in donating stocks and other assets or using a donor-advised fund to maximize your impact.

Learn About Tax Deductions

Why donate to St. Jude?

Families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food — so they can focus on helping their child live.

When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was considered incurable. Since then, St. Jude has helped push the overall survival rate from 20% to more than 80%, and we won't stop until no child dies from cancer.

Every child deserves a chance to live their best life and celebrate every moment. When you support St. Jude, you help give kids with cancer around the world that chance. Together, we can save more lives.