"Don't be afraid to fail"

Jo Andrews

IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE the more money you have to give, the more of a difference you can make. But according to Jo Andrews, former director of the grant-giving Sigrid Rausing Trust, it doesn't always work that way.

"Governments donate millions of pounds, but they have a responsibility to use taxpayer's money sensibly," Jo points out. This means they tend to fund less controversial projects. The rest of us, on the other hand, can take risks.

But can we really make a difference by supporting issues that big organisations won’t touch? “Absolutely,” says Jo. According to her, it's individual donors who push minority topics into the mainstream, at which point bigger funders take over. Recycling is a good example: 10 years ago it was seen as hippy, now it's top of local councils' agenda.

”What are you passionate about?”

It's just a matter, then, of picking the issues. Jo believes we should tailor our giving in a way that reflects our personality. "The first questions I would ask," Jo says, "are: ‘What are you passionate about?’ and ‘What social change do you want to see?’"

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Of course, we don't have the same resources as big organisations in deciding who to help. But Jo says it's still possible for us to get an idea of whether a charity will use a donation well.

”Ask what their mission is,” she says. “If they're clear on what they want to achieve, then move on to the strategies they have for doing it.”

Even the best-researched charities can throw up surprises over time. But we shouldn't be discouraged by this unpredictability. "Giving is a creative adventure," she smiles. "Don't be scared to ask questions, and don't be afraid to fail."