From KCRW in Santa Monica and PRI, Public Radio International, this is To the Point.

Tis the season of year-end giving. How to make sure your charity dollars count.

I'm Sarah Terry sitting in for Warren Alney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International,

a daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

December is the most popular month to give to charity, and according to one recent study,

donation spike as the calendar moves closer to New Year's Eve.

But how do you know what good your money is actually doing?

In recent years, economists have begun to analyze the

effectiveness of many charitable programs, and nonprofits are responding. Is giving getting smarter?

How is a new generation of philanthropists engaging with the social issues of our times?

On reporter's notebook, EPA Chief Lisa Jackson steps down.

Is the environment better off today than it was four years ago?

First, the news.

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Support for To the Point comes from the members of KCRW and from the Public Radio International Program Fund. I'm Sarah Terry, sitting in for Warren Allney, back with To the Point from

PRI. Many Americans are pulling out their checkbooks as part of a year-end surge in tax deductible

giving, and many are donating in more targeted in specific ways than in years past.

How is charitable giving changed in recent years as donors have become more concerned about the

effectiveness of the programs they're supporting?

If tax laws change and the deduction for giving is eliminated, will giving trends change?

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