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New "SmartGiving" Service Matches Prospective Donors with Causes Charities Invited to Register Free Through December 31st Washington, DC, October 25 2004 - SmartGiving, a new philanthropic advisory service that seeks to "match" charities and their projects with prospective donors, invites qualified nonprofit organizations to sign up, free, through December 31st, to be a part of this ground-breaking service. SmartGiving addresses the need to help nonprofits find innovative ways to bring their programs and their cause to the attention of prospective donors while providing donors with credible and customized choices for investing their charitable contributions. "With public confidence in charities at an all-time low and donors seeking more control over how their charitable investments are used, the launch of SmartGiving heralds a unique opportunity for nonprofits to bring their case for giving to the attention of prospective donors who want to feel confident in their choices," said Phyllis Freedman, founder and veteran nonprofit industry fundraiser and consultant. Freedman said, "many organizations that "rate" charities aren't much help to the thoughtful donor because they focus on financial metrics as the primary basis for determining charity worthiness. Focusing on financial metrics, in addition to unfairly penalizing nonprofits with unique sets of circumstances, also ignores the fact that for many donors, values, passions and other qualitative factors play an equally important, if not more important role in their decision-making." Instead of "rating" nonprofits, SmartGiving "matches" charities with donors. The idea is that an organization or project might be ideally suited to one donor, but might not be the best choice for another donor-just as a good stock or mutual fund might be appropriate for one investor but not for another, given varying goals and investment philosophies. "We want to use our experience to help donors find the right organizations and projects for their charitable "investments." The SmartGiving approach is highly customized to the individual donor and recognizes the donor's values as a critical component of their philanthropy" added Freedman. Nonprofits are invited to learn more about the service and to register free to be a part of the proprietary SmartGiving database by visiting the SmartGiving website, www.smart-giving.com/registerhere. Nonprofits that register by December 31st will also receive, free, a one-year subscription to SmartGiving's proprietary market research that provides insight into the qualitative motivations that matter most to donors when selecting a charity to support. About Phyllis Freedman: For the past 25 years of her professional career, Phyllis Freedman has held key positions in nonprofit management and fund raising, helping organizations operate and raise money more effectively and efficiently. Regularly recognized for excellence by her peers, in 1997, she was selected "Woman of the Year" by the Washington Area Women's Direct Response Group. In 1999 Phyllis was awarded the Professional Achievement Award by the Direct Marketing Association's Nonprofit Federation. And, in 2000, she was selected by the Non-Profit Times as one of the12 most influential women in direct response fund raising. About SmartGiving: SmartGiving is a philanthropic advisory service that complements financial, tax and estate planning by helping donors ensure that their gifts are made to the causes that really matter to them-and to the organizations that are most effective. 
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