As we approach the holiday season, central Ohioans once again have assisted the most vulnerable neighbors in our community, the 17,000 older adults and medically challenged clients of LifeCare Alliance. This is what it means to Nourish the Human Spirit and believe in our mission.

LifeCare Alliance is one of a few organizations in a metropolitan city in the United States that continues to accept all qualifying clients and operates without a waiting list. Each day, our work supports seniors with their independence and keeps families together and out of homeless shelters. This is accomplished through our fundraising efforts — again, donated dollars at work!

We are not in this alone. Without the generosity of donors, corporate partners, and volunteers, we could not provide the basic needs to sustain our clients. The majority of our clients live on $1,000 a month or less from an SSI check. With senior housing costs in Ohio now averaging more than $70,000 per year, LifeCare Alliance saves taxpayers money on an annual basis. The services LifeCare Alliance provide in the home and community setting, directly contribute to our clients’ ability to age in place.

Year-end gift decisions

With LifeCare Alliance being one of the oldest and largest not-for-profit organizations in central Ohio, funders realize that our organization is fiscally sound. The reputation of an organization is one of the first things donors or funders examine when choosing whether to contribute. When prospective donors research agencies for year-end contributions, they should bear in mind some of these recommendations:

· Review the Agency website

· Visit the organization and speak to the CEO or the staff.

· Tour the organization or participate in a volunteer activity. That is the best way to learn first-hand about the organization.

· Consider what is important to you – what is your passion or what motivates you as a donor?

· Determine if the organization has a good standing in the community.

· Determine the percentage of your gift which will pay for overhead..

Once you have asked yourself questions to help determine your decision, remember to trust your instincts. As we close another year of Nourishing the Human Spirit I appreciate you joining our quest in doing what our founder Catherine Nelson Black dared to do 1898, “to take care of those nobody else pays any attention to.”