How to Select a Charity to Receive your Souper Bowl of Caring Collection

 One of the core values of Souper Bowl of Caring is that every dollar or food item collected during Souper Bowl of Caring should be donated directly to a charity selected by each participating group. Encouraging the young people in your group to decide where the money/food will go allows them to not only be involved in the collection, but also be responsible for putting those donations back to work in the community. Your group is responsible for delivering 100% of your Souper Bowl of Caring collection directly to your designated charity after the event.
As the leader of your local Souper Bowl of Caring activity, it is an important to select the charity that will receive your SBoC collection early in your planning process. Below are some helpful things to consider when selecting a charity:

Where to do I find a list of local hunger/poverty organizations? top

Use the charity database on the SBoC website. You can search by zip code to find charities close to you. Souper Bowl of Caring does not endorse any particular charities, but offers the database as a tool to help you find information for organizations close to you. You can also do an internet search of local hunger/poverty charities and find organizations through the IRS.gov website. Consider having your students search through local newspapers to learn about organizations making a difference in your community.

How should I involve young people in my organization in the charity selection process? top

If you have a larger group and there are multiple charities being recommended, consider holding a competition among students to make presentations about their favorite hunger/poverty-relief organization and allow the group to vote. This will help the youth build confidence in their public speaking, while allowing them to gain ownership in the way their donations will be put to work in the community.

Can we donate to more than one charity? top

Yes. A charity should be grateful for any amount you donate, but try not to divide up your donation so much that you create more work for yourself by writing multiple checks or driving food all over town. Be sure to ask each charity how they will use your donation so you feel confident each group will be able to make the most of whatever amount you give them.
Also, remember if you decide to divide your Souper Bowl of Caring collection among multiple charities, be sure to indicate the various charities when you report your SBoC results online.

Do we have to donate to a local charity? top

Most SBoC participants donate to local charities, but the decision to select a charity to receive your SBoC donation is entirely up to you.
Donating locally allows you to contribute to an organization you can visit or with whom you can potentially maintain a long-term, more personal relationship. Donating to a local charity through Souper Bowl of Caring can be the first step to getting involved with the charity on a regular basis.
Donating to a regional, national or international charity is often an opportunity to give to a larger-scale charity that may have more name recognition than a local group. It is not uncommon for young people to want to support a charity they have seen on TV or an organization supporting a highly-publicized cause. Many SBoC participants have existing relationships with international charities through their churches, schools or community organization. When giving to a non-local charity, be sure to ask what percentage of your gift will be used to support programs vs. administrative or fundraising costs.

Can we choose Souper Bowl of Caring as our designated charity? top

You can choose any hunger/poverty-relief charity as the recipient of your Souper Bowl of Caring collection. If you choose to donate to SBoC, your donation will be used to grow awareness of the SBoC movement and help us get even more young people involved. We promise to be good stewards of your gift--for every $1 donated to SBoC, we mobilize youth to collect $19 for hunger-relief nationwide.

Should we visit the charity to see what they do? top

The best way to find out what kind of work a charity does is to visit them in person. Consider setting up a time for your group to visit the charity and volunteer. This opportunity will give you hands-on experience with the activities of the charity. The experience of volunteering will also help the youth build enthusiasm and understanding for their upcoming Souper Bowl of Caring collection.

How do I know if a charity is legitimate/legal? top

A legitimate charity should have a working phone number and mailing address. Take a few minutes to call up a charity before donating. Make sure you get a live person on the phone and then ask some basic questions about the charity's purpose.

What questions should I ask in deciding on a charity? top

The organization you're considering should be upfront about how donations are spent. If you will be making a cash donation, ask what percentage of your dollar goes towards the actual charitable services it provides vs. the amount spent on costs like administration or fundraising. If you are donating food, ask how and when the food you donate will make it to an individual who needs it.

Is it better to donate to a large or small organization? top

If you give your gift to a large organization, it can be part of a bigger whole. You may not be able to fund a solution to hunger or poverty on your own, but your gift can help support a larger project that, along with other donors, makes a big impact. As well, giving to a larger organization often affords a greater opportunity for anonymity.
If you give to a smaller organization, your single gift may have a larger impact on the charity. Yours could be the donation that helps keep an important program running or allows a new pilot project to start. You may also have a greater chance of being recognized in the community by giving to a smaller organization. Consider your priorities, both in terms of the impact that you would like your gift to have and how much recognition you would like for the donation. (source: charityvillage.com)

Should we select a new charity or a more established organization? top

As with the size of a non-profit, how long the non-profit has been in existence can impact how your gift is received and utilized.
If you choose to give to a new non-profit this might allow you to have more of an opportunity for direct involvement with the non-profit and it might allow you to have a larger impact on the development of the charity. The downside to giving to a new organization is that they might not survive long enough to make a difference in the community.
If you choose to give to an established non-profit, there could be less opportunity for direct involvement with that non-profit, but there is a better probability the non-profit will be around to effectively utilize your gift.(source: charityvillage.com)

What does 501(c)(3) status mean and how do I know if a charity is certified? top

501(c)(3) refers to the section of the Internal Revenue Code that defines which organizations are exempt from income tax as organizations with charitable, educational, or religious purposes (and a few other related purposes). These are the organizations that qualify to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions. These organizations must follow industry-accepted accounting practices and adhere to all relevant laws. To find out if your charity is a 501(c)(3), you can visit irs.gov or call the charity directly.