Choosing to Say 'Yes' or 'No'

In order to build employee support for a program, solicitations for donations should always be respectful. Employees should never be pressured rather than invited to donate.

To keep solicitations from backfiring, e-mail is usually a safe route.

"It's very onerous for some people to be given the message that, 'Yes, it's voluntary but you'd better do it anyway.'" Jern said. "That's why I prefer e-mail. Everyone gets the message instantly and it can contain a lot of logistical information. Those who wish to respond can and those who have already given to a particular cause or who just can't afford to give don't have to be embarrassed by saying 'No.'"

If you find yourself in the awkward situation of having to refuse to donate, however, brevity is best, experts say.

Just a quick: "No, thank you. I've already reached my limit for charitable donations this year. Try me again next year," should work just fine. You don't have to hang up the phone or toss a solicitation package in the trash in front of the solicitor to get the point across.

If, on the other hand, you decide to say "yes" to a solicitation, here are some useful tips from Charity Navigator's Workplace Giving Guide for a smart way to go about giving:

• Examine your values to determine which causes you want to support. B efore you participate in your employer's workplace giving campaign, take some time to reflect on the issues you feel are most crucial.
• Review your personal finances to determine how much you can afford to give. Once you've honed in on your charitable interests, you'll need to set some giving goals. In general, it is estimated that average annual giving is 3.2% of income. Apply this percentage to your annual income and see if you are comfortable with that level of giving.
• Maximize the amount of money going to charity by reviewing your employer's matching program. Many employers will match charitable donations made by their employees throughout the year. Often employers extend these matching programs to include gifts made through workplace giving campaigns.
• At the end of the year, find out how your donations were put to use. Find out what successes the charity had during the year by reviewing the charity's Web site, reading its annual report or directly communicating with the charity.