The season of giving is upon us - the time of year when people make charitable donations before the end-of-year deadline for potential tax benefits. Tax law changes in recent years made these benefits more elusive for most people, yet there are still ways to do well both for yourself and your favorite charities with your donations.

When the industrialist Andrew Carnegie was giving away his fortune last century to help establish the modern public library system in the United States, the critics were quick to pounce. They questioned his motives for giving and derided the amounts as too small, given his enormous wealth. As it turns out, the critics were onto something: articulating one’s purpose for charitable giving and financial capacity to do so are an excellent starting place for anyone determining how much they want to donate.

Charitable giving is a two-step process: you decide whether to make a donation, then decide how much to give. The first step is usually easy, but the second step can be a doozy. The challenge of figuring out how much to donate often stops people in their tracks and can prevent them from giving anything at all. So, how do you figure out the right amount to give?