MSP End of course blog

1. What are you learning about the various ways to evaluate an investment in a company? Do you see more value to one method over another?

• I am learning how to read a 990 tax form to help make the right investments when donating to organizations and charity programs. I am also learning about investing in companies through the stock market. It is interesting to look at 990 forms and 990 ez forms because you get to see the truth behind each organization and see where their revenue is being allocated. It is also cool to see how different stocks perform through tools like yahoo finance. I see the stock market as more valuable to me personally because I like making money and I think the idea of owning shares of other companies is very cool.

2.Why is it important to look at the numbers before making an investment? What did you learn about your organizations when you looked at their tax returns?

• It is important to look at the numbers before making an investment because you need to make sure you can afford things when using your money. You need to do proper research in a company’s numbers before you make any investment. It is not wise to invest without looking at the numbers because making investments can be risky. I learned about how organizations use their money observed how much of that money was actually used to help their cause.

3.What have you learned about giving away money? How is msp impacting your perspective on the world and perspective on philanthropy or charities?

• I learned that although you lose money, you sacrifice it for a good cause. Donating money made me feel good about myself as a person and allowed me to help others while doing so. My team and I also met really devoted and nice people while we donated and had a lot of fun visiting these organizations. MSP has helped me realize that there is more to life than making money for yourself, it helped me realize that there are others in dire need that need help.

4.What 2 organization did you choose to research? What is that organization’s philanthropic mission? How does that mission align with yours?

• I chose to research the San Diego Humane Society, and The Barking Lot. The mission of San Diego Humane Society is to strengthen the human and animal bond and to prevent animal cruelty. The Barking Lot aims to care for stray cats and dogs until an appropriate owner is found. These missions align with ours because just like the two organizations, all we want is for animals to be happy, safe and healthy.

5. What is the final selected charity your group chose to donate $ to? What was the most important factor in your group’s decision to pick this organization?

• Our group chose to donate money to Rancho Coastal Humane Society. The most important factor in our group’s decision to pick this organization were the people and community involvement. When talking to the employee on the phone, our team was welcomed with warm arms and we knew right away that this organization really cared about their cause. We were greeted when arriving at the charity site and got take a large group photo of the employees and one of the dogs named Papaya.

6. What are you hoping will be the impact of your donation? What might you do in the future to make a difference with this organization or any of the other organizations you came across?

•    We hope that our donation will be used to help contribute to the well being of all animals in San Diego. In the future, our group should try to return to Rancho Coastal Humane or any other trustworthy charity and donate… or possibly adopt a pet. We will definitely tell people about this experience to make a difference with any organization looking to save animal lives.