President Vladimir Putin sustains his power on the promise to Russians that he has, as he put it in 2010, “everything under control.” This week’s attack on the southern Belgorod region, launched from Ukraine, would have been alarming under any circumstances, but Putin’s posture as the man in command makes it particularly hard to explain away.

A string of bad news that began earlier this month suggests to Russians that their security system is crumbling. First came the drone attack on the roof of Putin’s residence in the Kremlin on May 4. Now comes an incursion into Belgorod, demonstrating that a year and a half into the war, the Federal Security Service, or FSB, which is in charge of the borders, does not have the manpower to protect against small units attacking from Ukraine. Russia was not even able to secure a nearby storage site for nuclear-weapons components, known as Belgorod-22—instead it reportedly moved the materiel away.

2. Do your research on the organizations you want to fund.

“My advice is to figure out what your passion is, and match it to an organization or an area where you want to see that change,” said Mesch. This isn’t difficult: What do you ruminate about in the middle of the night? Pinpoint that anxiety, and find the people who can fight it effectively. If your thing is women’s reproductive rights, double down on it. If you’re more concerned about racial justice, start there. Websites like Guidestar, Charity Navigator, and CharityWatch are great resources for researching nonprofits that align with the causes you care about; pick a lane (or a small few) and focus.

That said, don’t fall victim to analysis paralysis. No charitable organization is perfect, and the websites that evaluate them are flawed, too. Once you’ve decided on a cause and an amount, go through with it.