September 19, 2010 | Read Time: 1 minute
Like many community funds, the Seattle Foundation has created a Web site that allows donors to learn about local charities and contribute to them. What sets the new site apart, however, is the Seattle fund’s decision to post its own evaluations of the organizations online as well.
This is the first time the foundation has made the information available to the general public, says Jared Watson, a vice president at the Seattle Foundation. In the past, he says, foundation employees have shared the data with people who have donor-advised funds through the organization (funds that allow donors to set aside money to give to charity, receive the tax benefits for their philanthropy, and later decide which groups or causes to support). What appealed most to donors during those conversations, says Mr. Watson, was information the foundation had that would be difficult for them to find elsewhere.
Donors had questions like, “Gosh, what makes them different than the other food banks I know in town?” says Mr. Watson. “That’s the kind of information that we’re focusing on.”
To learn more: Go to http://www.seattlefoundation.org/givingcenter.
