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For many, December is a season of celebration; for many, it is also a season of giving, an opportunity to reflect upon the year and acknowledge those who have made tremendous contributions to the world around them.

2009 has been an unusually difficult period for donor and grantee alike; a period in which both have had to be particularly agile to negotiate the financial debris left by the recession.  To assist them, we published Giving in the Recession, a Think Philanthropy paper containing case studies and 10 tips on how to fund in times of such economic crisis; these 10 tips were featured in the December 3 issue of the Financial Times, and it may be that some of them inform your giving this season. 

For example, one of the most enjoyable - and effective - things that a donor can do is to fund collaboratively (tip #2), pooling grant money with his or her peers.  It might also be that you want to draw attention to a largely unacknowledged social issue, and so you might give to an advocacy organisation to work to influence public policy (tip #3).  In the knowledge that your chosen charity has had a very difficult year, you might opt, instead of funding one of its specific programmes, to support its general operations (tip #6).  What's more, the end of year is as good a time as any to build on relationships with grantees (tip #5) to whom you may have given previously.  And whichever approach you choose, it's a useful idea to research thoroughly (tip #1) to see that the money that you're giving is going where it is most needed.

December, then, can be a month for philanthropists to explore new ways of giving, either in their communities or further afield; we hope that you are able to try some of them.  We also send you our warmest wishes for this season, and for the year ahead; and, last but certainly not least, we thank those donors whose generous support has made our work possible.

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