AHEAD
10 KIPLINGER’S PERSONAL FINANCE^ 02/
AHEAD
Most of us give to charity because
we want to make the world a
better place. But many donors
fear that their contributions won’t
be used efficiently or may even be
misused.
ImpactMatters.org, a new
charity-rating system, seeks to
address those concerns with an
online tool that measures the
impact of every dollar donated
to a particular organization.
For example, a $25 donation
to Shared Harvest Foodbank, an
Ohio-based charity, will provide a
meal to 13 needy people, and $
donated to Paralyzed Veterans
of America will increase benefits
claimed by a disabled veteran by
$250, according to ImpactMatters’
analysis. Charities are given a one-
to five-star rating. ImpactMatters
bases its ratings on charities that
serve the same cause so donors
can make an apples-to-apples
comparison.
Elijah Goldberg, executive
director of ImpactMatters, says
its system analyzes a wider range
of nonprofits than GiveWell (www
.givewell.org), which also mea-
sures cost-effectiveness but fo-
cuses on international charities.
Currently, ImpactMatters has
rated about 1,000 charities, which
is just a fraction of the thousands
of charities eligible to receive
tax-deductible contributions.
Some charities that haven’t yet
been rated receive a “governance
report,” which Goldberg says is de-
signed to provide donors with basic
information and alert them to
problems, such as egregious over-
head expenses. SANDRA BLOCKTRACK YOUR
DONATED
DOLLARS
deals will crop up, says Saglie. More than MAXIMUM IMPACT
half a dozen new hotels have been built
for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, and post-
games travelers can expect to see prices
drop by up to 50% while the weather is
still good, he says. Getting there will be
easier and less expensive, too, because
United Airlines and All Nippon Airways
are expanding their routes.
Flights to Hawaii will also be less ex-
pensive as Southwest adds routes. Flights
from the West Coast, which recently cost
about $700, could drop to between $
and $500, says Saglie. Island hopping in
Hawaii will also be more affordable in
2020, he says, with Southwest offering
one-way fares between islands for as
low as $29. Ha-
waiian Airlines,
which currently
dominates the
inter-island flight
market, will likely
reduce most one-
way inter-island
fares to $50 to $60.
Nature lovers
looking for a new
desti nation will
find less-expensive
f lights to Bozeman,
Mont., which of-
fers easy access to
national and state
parks, including
Glacier National
Park. Until re-
cently, f lights to
Bozeman were
limited and often more expensive than
a cross-country jaunt. But new seasonal
f lights from New York, Philadelphia,
Los Angeles and Seattle will reduce rates
for East Coast travelers by 10% to 20%,
says Saglie.
Yearning for a Caribbean vacation?
Consider Curacao. United Airlines has
announced new routes to this often-
overlooked island, which sits below the
hurricane belt and is rarely in the path
of storms. The island also has some of
the cheapest hotel costs in the Caribbean,
with average rates of $125 a night for the
winter, according to Oyster.com.your travel dates. Not sure where you want
to go? We’ve asked industry experts to
weigh in with their top picks of places you
can visit for less in 2020.
Europe at a discount. In the past year,
f lights to some European destinations,
including Paris, Madrid and Barcelona,
have become more affordable thanks to
new routes and increased competition
among carriers, says Tracy Stewart,
content editor at Airfarewatchdog.com.
You can find f lights to Rome from New
York, Boston and San Francisco, for ex-
ample, for $300 to $350 (all prices are
for round-trip fares). Those prices will
continue to dip in 2020 as low-cost carrier
Norwegian Air
Shuttle adds routes,
says Stewart. For
thinner crowds,
consider Sicily,
with side trips to
Palermo and Noto.
These cities are be-
coming trendy des-
tinations but aren’t
yet crowded, says
Gabe Saglie, senior
editor at Travelzoo.
Everything from
museum tickets to
cappuccinos will be
more affordable as
the dollar’s strength
continues in 2020,
he says.
Another European
value that may not
be on your radar: Scotland. Historically,
the pound sterling has been an expensive
currency for U.S. travelers. But Brexit
will continue to be a factor in 2020, and
the U.S. dollar will be remarkably com-
petitive against the pound sterling, says
Saglie. Week-long Scotland packages
recently cost about $1,000 per person,
including f lights, hotels, transfers and
meals, according to Travelzoo.
Timing is everything. Japan will be one
of the most expensive destinations this
summer. But as soon as the Olympic
Games end in mid August, some great
Tr a v e l B a r g a i n s
Where to Find the Best Deals
Looking for great values on airfares and
hotels? Check out these resources:
➜ Scott’s Cheap Flights (www.scottscheap
flights.com) will send out international deals
to subscribers for free.
➜ Airfarewatchdog (www.airfarewatch
dog.com) sends out daily e-mails with a long
list of fares from airports you choose. The
e-mails also flag sales, including from South-
west (normally absent from deal newsletters).
➜ Secret Flying (www.secretflying.com)
provides instant alerts on flight deals that de-
part from cities across the U.S. to subscribers
who download its app.