Just like that, it’s late November — and Giving Season is upon us.

It would be easy to focus on the negatives as we approach this season; there is a sense of prolonged urgency as we phase into a so-called return to normal (that is really far from normal, but more of an evolution of the crises we have grappled with for years). The giving appeals that will be sent today and in the coming weeks will reflect that urgency, and be colored by the knowledge that rates of household giving have declined while inflation is on the rise and demand for services remains high, making it difficult for many nonprofits to make ends meet. The remarkable changes we have seen in institutional giving in the last three years are just that — remarkable — but will they last, especially as the economy wobbles?

But there is another side to the story, and ample reason for hope. There are those, both at the individual and institutional level, who are approaching their giving with curiosity as well as generosity; those who are asking crucial questions about how to give better, and really listening to the answers; and all those in this sector who are leading the way by modeling giving with both the heart and the head, as Rohini Nilekani, Giving Pledger and a guest on CEP’s Giving Done Right podcast once put it.

While CEP has many resources for givers looking to give effectively, both institutional and individual, I particularly wanted to share one of my favorite resources this Giving Season; it is one that is chock full of advice for givers, moving storytelling, and inspiration that can inform the major donor and everyday giver alike: the Giving Done Right podcast.

We’ve just wrapped the third season of the podcast, and I can honestly say that as I listened to each episode this season, I thought to myself, “This may just be the best one yet.” CEP’s Phil Buchanan and Grace Nicolette, who host the podcast, lead honest, insightful conversations with each guest that are simultaneously a great listen and an invaluable way to gain insight into how to give wisely and from the heart.

Read the full article about the joy of giving done right by Chloe Heskett at The Center for Effective Philanthropy.