What do you get from giving? Their charitable checks may be small compared to those of a billionaire, but U.S. CATHOLIC readers have faith that they will get some bang for their buck when they give to their charities of choice.

CHRISTMAS CAME IN JUNE FOR THE GATES FAMILY THIS year when they received the largest philanthropic gift in history, worth $37 billion today. Warren Buffett, the second richest man in the world, announced last summer that he would give much of his fortune to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Why would Buffett want to give away his money through the wealthiest man in the world rather than funnel it through his own foundation?

It's simple: He thinks the Gateses can use his funds more productively. "If you think about it--if your goal is to return the money to society by attacking truly major problems that don't have a commensurate funding base--what could you find that's better than turning to a couple of people who are young, who are ungodly bright, whose ideas have been proven, who already have shown an ability to scale it up and do it right?" Buffett told Fortune magazine.

Buffett's annual contributions of stock will double the Gates Foundation's yearly gifts, which support organizations working on global health (especially HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria) and high school education in the United States.

Just as the successful investor made strategic decisions throughout his career in order to maximize his profits, Buffett developed an intricate gift-giving plan based on a simple desire: to maximize his impact.

THIS DESIRE IS SHARED BY ALL PHILANTHROPISTS, WHETHER they give $40 or $40 billion, the results of a U.S. CATHOLIC survey on charitable giving show. Readers give to a variety of causes for a variety of reasons, but they resoundingly agree that they want their donations to directly support their chosen causes and not administrative costs. "Warren Buffett is a great example for us all," says Gina Doyle of Clarksboro, New Jersey. "I don't like when several organizations are doing the same work with double the overhead."

While their plans may be less complicated than Buffett's, readers also like to control how and to whom they distribute their wealth. "It needs to have some impact," Christian DeVos from Harwich Port, Massachusetts writes. "We prefer to give $500 or a $1,000 to one organization rather than 100 times $10."

Others prefer to spread the wealth, but regardless of their plan, most readers reveal that their giving is well thought out and researched.

Catholic givers first look into an organization's cause and philosophy, which can be an advantage for Catholic organizations. Evelyn Lawton of Pleasant Hill, California, however, speaks for a number of readers: "I'm not going to give more to Catholic causes until there is equal treatment of women!"

Still, more would agree with a reader from Valley City, North Dakota who stopped giving to a charity because "it did not meet Catholic ethical standards." Readers overwhelmingly prefer to give to their parish (83 percent of readers) and other Catholic charitable organizations (76 percent).

While affiliation with the church can suggest that an organization is trustworthy, readers also look at its reputation, financial statements, and outside ratings. Some helpful resources recommended by readers include the American Institute of Philanthropy (charitywatch.org), give.org, and charitynavigator.org.

Most simply see waste in repetitive appeals. A whopping 80 percent of readers agreed that they get tired of all the appeals they get, especially when they come from one organization. "I receive more requests from the same organization to which we have just contributed," says Anne Karas of Bloomfield, Connecticut. "Some send gifts (unsolicited!) to put you on a guilt trip."

"The more frequent the appeals or the slicker the publications, the less the donation will be," writes another reader from Brigantine, New Jersey.

Although most readers are concerned about their money's impact, accusations that the Red Cross misused funds for hurricane relief caused a mixed reaction. A handful of readers said they--stopped giving to the Red Cross, but the same number named the Red Cross as an organization they really believe in. John Laun of Shepherdsville, Kentucky found a compromise: "I still donate blood but will not give money."

WHILE MANY READERS PLAN their gifts in advance and with great thought, Bonnie Patton of Ojai, California simply gives based on "what I feel the Holy Spirit is guiding me to do."

The trend in philanthropic giving may be to hold nonprofits to more efficient business practices, but for readers like Patton, charity isn't simply financial planning; it is part of their faith. "One is an extension of the other. Without charity, faith is hollow," says Joan Adele Tronco of Marlton, New Jersey.

The connection between faith and charity is evident in the organizations and causes U.S. CATHOLIC readers give to. "Catholic" is in the name of readers' top three picks: Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities, and the Catholic Church (including parishes or dioceses). Fifty-four percent of readers typically give to religion/evangelization causes.

Praying, tithing, and volunteering also are important ways to connect giving to faith, although a good number of readers want to volunteer more or go on a mission.

More than anything, faith and gratefulness for God's gifts motivate Catholics to give. "Recognizing my own blessings helps me see the need to share with those less fortunate," writes Cece Padon of Spokane, Washington. While many agree with Padon, even more said that the example and words of Jesus motivate them. Readers most frequently cited Matthew 25:40: "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."

It can be difficult to see Christ in "the least of these," but witnessing suffering is a powerful motivator. Local organizations are popular recipients of donations because potential donors can see both the need and the impact of their money.

STILL, READERS CAN FEEL FRUSTRATED AND HELPLESS WHEN faced with the needs of their communities and the world. It helps to know that people like Buffett are giving billions to help solve the world's problems, but as Jesus said, the widow's few coins, given with faith, means just as much as the gifts of the rich. And Marie Getty of Mays Landing, New Jersey knows that faith can augment charity. "I wish I could do more," she says, "so I pray about it every night."

Where the money goes

According to our survey, U.S. CATHOLIC readers' favorite charitable organizations are:

* Catholic Relief Services

* Catholic Charities

* The Catholic Church (including parishes and dioceses)

* Habitat for Humanity 

* The Salvation Army

* Food for the Poor

* Society of St. Vincent de Paul 

* Catholic schools

* Doctors Without Borders 

* Covenant House

* Christian Foundation for Children and Aging

* Red Cross

What it goes for

U.S. CATHOLIC readers' favorite causes are:

* Emergency relief (60%)

* Religion/evangelization (54%)

* Children (53%)

* Health (45%)

By MEGAN SWEAS, assistant editor of U.S. CATHOLIC.