I’m privileged to be participating in a momentous blog campaign today involving hundreds of bloggers. We have gathered virtually to spread the word about an organization changing the lives of extremely vulnerable teenage girls around the world. This organization is The Girl Effect and I think the most powerful way for me to introduce them is via this video:

The video shares a succinct overview of their mission, but to get more intimately knowledgeable about the lives they touch, scroll down to watch some of the videos on this page. {And grab that box of tissues….you might need it.}

I thought this blogger campaign would be a good opportunity to speak to how one can be Financially Smitten when it comes to charitable giving.

Just like every other financial transaction, most people are not raised with clear guidance on how to “give.” Perhaps you grew up hearing things such as ‘charity is just a handout,’ expressing an underlying mistrust of all charitable organizations. Or on the other hand, your family might have donated 10% of the household income to the religious congregation to which you belonged.

I suspect these childhood experiences have shaped how you feel and act when it comes to charity. Typically money messages such as these are picked up subconsciously and work behind the scenes dictating financial decisions. And just like all beliefs, it’s not that one is right and the other wrong. It’s more so that you may be operating from one of these beliefs and not even be sure if it IS one of your true beliefs!

I, myself, have been on a journey with how, when and why I give. I was initially shocked a few years ago when a money coach I was working with confronted me about my charitable donations. She practically chewed me a new one, wanting to know why I was making donations when I had not fully funded my retirement account. At first I was offended and angered by her response. But I came to realize that I needed to bring more thought and clarity to this part of my financial world. It gave me financial pause.

That money coach held a particular belief when it comes to charity. I might say that her motto was more along the lines of ‘take care of yourself before you take care of others.’ There is a camp that believes the opposite—’give and thee shall receive’—that there is a necessary flow of money in and out of one’s life. Not to say that the giving is motivated by the anticipated receiving, but that there is something spiritual in sharing our wealth with others {and yes, if you’re reading this, you are on the global rich list!}.

I came to be grateful for my coach’s challenge because I had to truly examine what was going on for me in that part of my financial house. I needed to look at what was working and what wasn’t when it came to ‘giving’, and made some changes accordingly. Conscious changes…premeditated decisions….good things when we are talking about money.

I have also found Spencer Sherman’s teachings on charitable giving extremely helpful, and I have taken the liberty of adapting some of his thoughts on this topic below:

Six Steps to Mindful Charitable Giving

1. Determine what percentage of your income you want to donate. Obviously this is totally a personal decision. If you’re new to giving, perhaps start small, with 1 or 2% of your after-tax income. You can have a goal of 10% or whatever percentage feels right for you. Alternatively, some people choose to donate a certain percentage of their net worth each year.

2. Think about what social causes you want to champion: animals, the environment, health issue, etc. The list is almost endless.

3. Once you have your cause list, allot percentages of your total to each area. {Spencer also recommends allocating 20% for spontaneous giving throughout the year.}

4. Start to explore and research organizations working in the areas you want to support. Part of this research can be to visit sites such as CharityNavigator, CharityWatch, or the BBB to learn about the financial management of your chosen nonprofits.

5. Set up a donation plan. When and how do you want to give your money: yearly, quarterly, monthly? Do you want to send a check? Do an automatic payment via your credit card? {Personally I find that giving monthly makes me feel more connected to the organizations I support.}

6. Financial donations are not the only means of support you can provide. You can volunteer your time, for example helping to cook a meal at a homeless shelter. Or donate unused or no longer needed items, such as old towels that your local animal shelter will find quite valuable.

I hope you feel inspired to take some actions steps to help our collective efforts to promote Girl Effect. Here are three suggestions you can do TODAY!

1. If you’re a blogger, please join our campaign! Share a post on YOUR blog any time before October 12th, and help be a link in the chain. Click here for more info about the campaign.

1. Connect with the Girl Effect on Facebook and/or twitter.

1. Donate time and/or money to Girl Effect. Grab the tool kit on their site, chock full of goodies to help you support Girl Effect. It has everything from iron-on t-shirt decals to how to host a Girl Effect partay!

I am delighted to have been asked to co-lead a workshop at Elevate Yoga in Hazlet, NJ on June 11th, 2011. Studio owner and yoga teacher extraordinaire, Jamie Hanley, and I are collaborating on a financial therapy workshop for women that will include some gentle yoga. I will be sharing some of my Financially Smitten signature exercises, tips and tools with the group.

I am thrilled to share my expertise with the yoga community and know that bringing the body into the financial therapy work will create a powerful synergy. Yoga provides so many tools for staying present and grounded, which are an excellent antidote to the anxiety and overwhelm many women experience when it comes to managing their money.

Jamie adds, “I am so excited to partner with Lora and offer this unique workshop to our community. A self-confessed shopaholic, I understand how much women can benefit from finding financial balance, and taking the principles of yoga off the mat in this way is so important.”

It is going to be a lovely afternoon. Please join us and share the word with any other peeps you know in the NY-NJ area.

For more information and to pre-register, click here.

I am delighted to have been asked to co-lead a workshop at Elevate Yoga in Hazlet, NJ on March 27, 2011. The studio owner and yoga teacher extraordinaire, Jamie Hanley, and I are collaborating on a financial therapy workshop for women that will open and close with some gentle, grounding yoga. I will share some of my Financially Smitten signature exercises, tips and tools with the group.

I am thrilled to share my expertise with the yoga community and know that bringing the body into the financial therapy work will create a powerful synergy. Yoga provides so many tools for staying present and grounded, which are an excellent antidote to the anxiety and overwhelm many women experience when it comes to managing their money.

Jamie adds, “I am so excited to partner with Lora and offer this unique workshop to our community. A self-confessed shopaholic, I understand how much women can benefit from finding financial balance, and taking the principles of yoga off the mat in this way is so important.”

It is going to be a lovely afternoon. Please join us if you can and share the word with any other peeps you know in the NY-NJ area.

For more information and to pre-register, click here.

Don’t You Just Love Hearing A Secret?

Do you ever wonder what those women rockin’ their “six-figure money mojo” have that you don’t? Well, I’m going to be spilling the beans about what those secrets are and how to cultivate them in yourself!

Join me in the Financially Smitten Virtual Book Salon!
Wednesday, March 23rd @ 4pm EST

Secrets of Six Figure Women:
Surprising Strategies To Up Your Earnings and Change Your Life!
by Barbara Stanny

Through extensive research and hundreds of interviews, including dialogues with more than 150 high earners whose annual incomes range from $100K to $7 million, Barbara Stanny discovered that, though the high-earning women she canvassed came from different backgrounds and had vastly different work experiences, they all had certain traits in common.

Stanny teaches that all women, high earners and underearners alike, all have access to these seven traits. By fine-tuning them, readers will automatically set in motion a process that will increase their income. Helping to foster and fortify each characteristic, Stanny turns each of the six-figure traits into a specific strategy for upping earnings. From declaring an intention to speaking up to obeying the rules of money, these tactics lay out a step-by-step path up the income ladder.

About the Financially Smitten Virtual Book Salon:
A basic tenet of creating an empowered relationship with money is to respect and appreciate it. And one simple way to do this is to make a commitment to read a book about money. With the Virtual Book Salon, I’ve made it easy and fun to do this! Every other month we read a book related to money psychology or personal finance and gather live on a teleconference line to explore the teachings. During these guided discussions I will:

• summarize the most powerful take-aways from each book
• provide an opportunity for Salon members to share their thoughts and reactions
• support you in broadening your knowledge base of the nuances and dynamics inherent in managing a successful relationship with money
• help you apply this new knowledge to improve YOUR relationship with money

{There is no fee to join the conversation, but you will need to purchase the book or borrow it from the library. Clicking on the image of the book above will direct you to Amazon.com where you will find a synopsis of the book and can purchase it.}

Yes, Lora, I’m ready to amp up my financial empowerment!
{Sign up by filling in the two boxes below.}

Registration includes a gift subscription to my Flirting with Finance Diaries e-newsletter.
Our lips are sealed: Your information will not be shared with anyone, at any time!

Does your financial world feel chaotic, complicated, and out of control?

Does the mere thought of it make you want to crawl under a rock?

Do ruminating thoughts of “I just don’t know where to start!” keep you stuck and immobilized?

Do you fear you are a lost cause when it comes to managing your financial life?

If you answered YES, then this call is for YOU!

Join me and my extra special guest,
financial advisor Janice Goldman Picker for this FREE teleclass:

The Hip Girl’s Guide to Financial Planning:
Three Simple Steps To Move Out of Financial Overwhelm
& Transform Into A Money Mojo Rockin’ Mama

Monday, February 28th
8pm Eastern
{mp3 recordings will be sent to every registrant}

Ditch the overwhelm and leave this teleclass with three simple steps you can take IMMEDIATELY to improve your financial life.

If you don’t know where to begin, begin HERE, with THIS teleclass!
We will inspire and empower you!
The main objective of this call is supporting you to get into ACTION MODE.

Just some of what we will be sharing on this call includes:

• Simple tools you can use to get your financial life organized {and just with the push of a button!}
• What insurance you need to be protected {savvy money ladies know what they need to, to make sure their butts are covered!}
• What three things you MUST know about investing {this may surprise you!}
• The basics about retirement savings so you can start NOW {and ensure you’re not eating Fancy Feast in golden years.}

We have the solution!
Put a dose of hope in the fact that
there is a way out of YOUR financial distress.

We will also be sharing a content-rich handout with valuable tips, tools, and resources.
You’ll want to get your hands on this goodie!

Sign up even if you are not able to attend the class live
because we will be sending out a recording of the call to all registrants.

We can’t wait to share this life-changing information with you!

REGISTER TODAY TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT!

To keep you rocking your money mojo even after the teleclass,
as a special gift from us you will be subscribed to both of our newsletters.
You may unsubscribe at any time!

Janice Goldman Picker has been a wealth manager for the last 28 years, specializing in empowering women in their financial lives {specifically widows, divorcees, and second wives}. Janice is able to easily help people clarify their financial dreams, create an action plan to fulfill those dreams, and then track their progress. She is devoted to educating all of her clients about successful financial management. For more information about Janice, visit her website by clicking here.

Lora Sasiela, MSW, is a financial therapist, money coach, and founder of Financially Smitten. To learn more about Lora click here to be taken to the “Meet Lora” page.