In May of 2007, I had lots of extra income my websites were doing very well, and I was working at Microsoft, and I had just had a windfall, and I decided that I was going to give back.I set up a fund and picked 5 charities to receive $30k a year for 5 years. I didn't want to do 1 year donations because I wanted the organizations to build programs that were sustainable, and not just drop the money in to a general fund. 5 years later I am discontinuing the funding, for all but 1 of the organizations.

Step 1: What I Did...

I choose either, organizations or students who could benefit from a semi long term plan and goals. Once the goals were in place, I continued to fund them. 2 decided to add political/religious stipulations to my terms, and I discontinued funds because I wanted to make available the services to all, not select few.

I worked with them to ensure that the money didn't get lost to management, but were used for operations and to help meet goals.

By creating a long term plan to help meet the goals and objectives, help establish a charity and allow it to get ramped up for other future goals without funding. Helping them assert their role and making them develop leadership programs to continue without the funds, is a key to successful giving.