16% of organizations say they receive more than half of their total contributions for the year between the months of October and December. And 11% of online charitable donations will be made in just the three final days of the year. But this need not be the case. Donors can take control of their giving by making donations throughout the year.

Committing to spreading your giving efforts throughout the year allows you the following benefits:

  1. Better Budgeting: By not waiting until the end of the year, donors can take time to budget their charitable donations.
  2. Time To Select Causes: While it's certainly possible to know this at the end of the year, it doesn't hurt to give yourself more time to decide on what matters most to you.
  3. Time To Select Charities: Many organizations work toward the same issues, but not all have the same focus, values, performance or trustworthiness.
  4. Don't Confine Your Choice To Only Charities That Ask: With a little research, you might connect with local or national groups that inspire your generosity in new ways.
  5. Consider More Than A Passionate Story: It's valuable to look beyond the story in a fundraising appeal to see what specific activities the charity has identified to help address the problems it describes.

Read the full article on things to think about before you donate by H. Art Taylor at Forbes