The  University of Pennsylvania Center for High Impact Philanthropy has released its annual free, online 2015 High Impact Year-end Giving Guide outlining some of the most effective giving opportunities.

The guide includes evidence-based examples such as a donation of $7 that can provide a home-based newborn care package, one of the most cost-effective ways to save a newborn life in the developing world.

The Center’s experts analyze and hand-pick the philanthropic opportunities based on impact and cost-effectiveness. The guide includes a range of areas of charitable-giving such as supporting new moms, combating neighborhood blight and relief for areas affected by natural or man-made disasters. 

“Throughout the year, our multi-disciplinary team identifies opportunities that offer great philanthropic 'bang for buck' where the bang refers to a meaningful social change and the buck is whatever money a donor has to give, whether that is $10 or $1 million,” said Katherina Rosqueta, founding executive director of the Center. 

This year’s guide includes additional opportunities based on extensive research the Center conducted on organizations that address addiction and substance abuse disorders, and it highlights the work of three organizations that effectively help to save lives that would have been lost to opioid and heroin overdoses.

“You can’t pick up a newspaper, listen to the radio or hear presidential candidates debate without somebody mentioning the 'quiet epidemic' of drug addiction, that often starts with prescription opioids that then leads to heroin,” said Rosqueta. "Yet, there are cost-effective and evidence-based ways people can help"

The guide is available for free on the Center’s website www.impact.upenn.edu. 

The Center for High Impact Philanthropy, a collaboration between Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice and alumni of the Wharton School, provides independent guidance, education and other tools to help donors to make effective philanthropic decisions.