Giving Compass' Take:

• This Forbes post examines ways to set philanthropic goals over the next year — aligning values with strategy — and offers some steps to deliver more impact.

• One important tenet described is to measure performance. Are the organizations you support doing a good job at providing concrete analytics? 

• If you need more help, try out our free personal donations manager, Giving Planner.

What organizations did you give to last year and why? Did you give to your alma mater out of habit or buy tickets to a local charity gala because you felt pressured to attend? When making these gifts, did it feel meaningful, or was it more like fulfilling an obligation?

If you’re not feeling “the joy of giving,” perhaps old acquaintance should be forgot! This year, instead of giving exclusively to the same old causes and organizations, pick an issue that has real meaning for you. Would you want to fast-track research for a rare disease that impacted a family member, save your school district’s music education program threatened by budget cuts, or clean up a polluted lake in your hometown? If you need help to identify a meaningful issue, ask yourself:

  • What makes me mad? “Every child in this country should be able to go to school without fear of being shot.”
  • What gets me fired up? “When I see a veteran reduced to homelessness, it just drives me crazy!”
  • What do I think is really insane? “Why do we keep buying bottled water?”

Read the full article about finding more meaningful ways to give by Page Snow at Forbes.