Here's what Terry Axelrod had to say about how to select a charity in the Jan. 1, 2005, Latin Trade Magazine story, "Giving 101" by Greg Brown.

Consider your own values, what really matters to you: children, arts, your faith, the environment. Find out which organizations are doing the kind of work you're interested in doing, says Terry Axelrod, CEO and founder of Raising More Money in Seattle, which trains non-profits on sustainable fundraising from individual donors. "Talk to them, go see them, they'll be ecstatic to see you. Before you even talk money, see what they're doing," she says. "Be sure that whatever you choose is something very important to you, not just the issue of the day."

Also, consider what a gift would do long-term in the form of an endowment, Axelrod suggests. A series of checks over a decade could have much more impact as a single large gift in the form of securities which throws off money for decades to come. Consider, too, giving something that can be even more valuable than cash: knowledge and time. "What a lot of wealthy donors have to give is sometimes beyond money. It's experience, insight," she says.