Opinion: Hard Times Call for Strategic Giving

In the face of Wall Street’s troubles, donors must give “thoughtfully and strategically” to make the most of their shrinking discretionary funds and to shore up the charities hit hardest by an economic downturn, writes Raymond Fisman, a professor of social enterprise at Columbia Business School, in a commentary published in Forbes.

“So think hard about the biggest problems out there and survey the charity landscape for organizations that most effectively address those problems,” urges Mr. Fisman, who suggests that readers look to social-service organizations and use the assessments of watchdog organizations and large foundations to investigate the results that a charity’s programs produce before making giving decisions.