Guiding Principles

CharityFocus has seen tremendous growth since its inception but the spirit of the organization has remained consistent and unwavering.

CharityFocus provides opportunity for volunteers to give freely of their time and talents, without any expectation of material gain. In this way, CharityFocus creates an outlet for people to express their fundamental generosity, selflessness, and compassion.

Service facilitates change in the heart of the giver. Volunteerism encourages greater selflessness and fosters a closer attentiveness of the world in which we live. These changes are enduring and infectious, touching both the volunteers and the greater community. CharityFocus volunteers are living the Gandhian precept, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

The CharityFocus motto, Helping Others Help Others®, describes both the substance of our work and the organizing principle behind CharityFocus. Our efforts empower the nonprofit organizations that work to strengthen our communities and help those in need. By coming together collectively in the spirit of service, each CharityFocus volunteer also makes possible and nourishes the volunteer experiences of every other CharityFocus volunteer.

While the tangible accomplishments of CharityFocus are certainly significant -- especially to the nonprofits we serve and to their beneficiaries -- they are not as important as the act of giving itself. The joy is in the journey, not in arriving at the destination.

There is no hierarchy within CharityFocus, and all volunteers are encouraged to define their own level of involvement within the organization. Managerial and administrative functions are handled by teams whose members are self-selected and whose meetings are open to all. The direction of the organization is defined through consensus. There are volunteers who have organizational titles, but these are merely labels for administrative purposes and for ease of communication.

Money is an indispensable tool of philanthropy; and CharityFocus salutes those who give generously to nonprofit organizations. But CharityFocus esteems the commitment entailed in service above all else. Volunteerism is a transforming experience in a way that financial contribution is not. Giving of oneself is both intimately personal and inspirational to others, setting in motion a ripple effect of awareness, compassion, and beneficence that extends far beyond the gift itself.