Shouldn't you put the same amount of effort into your giving as you might for your for-profit investments? After all, philanthropy is an investment, and one in which lives - not profits - are at stake.

Too often we're happy to receive thanks from the nonprofits we fund, accepting gratitude instead of feedback or performance measurements.

Nonprofits are the intermediaries between generosity and social change.

Medical tests have shown that giving stimulates a part of the brain that gives us the same gratification as when we eat food or have sex.

Shouldn't you put the same amount of effort into your giving as you might for your for-profit investments? After all, philanthropy is an investment, and one in which lives - not profits - are at stake.

Actively deciding to give to causes that move you deeply is far more fulfilling than the momentary gratification derived from signing a check and mailing it to a nonprofit about which you know little more than what's on the brochure they sent you.

Being innovative in your philantropy allows you to stride forward in your giving journey; you can marry your mind and heart to turn charity into lasting impact; and you can become more ambitious in your giving.