In a down economy, it can be tough to find extra money to send off to charitable causes, no matter how much you may want to. Luckily, there are a multitude of ways to give back without spending a lot of time or money. Below, we've covered 25 ways to make a difference, including some old favorites and a sizable number of less common strategies.
Also, please note: Inclusion in this list does not necessarily imply that Vat19 endorses a particular charity or organization. We encourage you to do your own research if you have any concerns about a specific nonprofit organization.
1. Shop at your local animal shelter. Many shelters, like Animal Haven Shelter in New York, offer classes and sell products to help fund their continued efforts. Why go to PetSmart for obedience classes or food when you can go to the local shelter and get the same thing while supporting a worthy cause?
Even better, if you get your pet at the shelter, you can often deduct the adoption fee as a charitable donation. Be sure to inquire with both the shelter and your tax preparer first, of course. Try Petfinder for easy "pet shopping" from home.
2. Give away what you don't need. Let's face it, the few dollars you pick up selling most old stuff on eBay is not worth your effort. On the other hand, many charities have established eBay accounts that sell used goods on a regular basis, allowing them to efficiently list or ship dozens of items at a time. And of course, Goodwill and Salvation Army will accept most common household items and clothing.
Consignment stores like Christabelle's Closet allow you to donate your clothing and have the proceeds allocated for the charity of your choice. By donating your unwanted apparel (or buying someone else's), you're sending money directly to a variety of worthy causes.
Don't forget the special occasion or professional apparel, either. Whether you need to get rid of suits, coats, or even old prom dresses, there's an organization that will put them to good use. Check out The Career Wardrobe, The Glass Slipper Project, or One Warm Coat. You can also donate your fur coat or other real fur items to help injured wildlife.
3. Wish lists. Similar to #2, many charities have wish lists of items they need either in the short-term, or on an ongoing basis. By making yourself familiar with these lists, you can have them in mind whenever you see someone throwing those items away or selling them at a garage sale. Pet carriers and bedding, for instance, are nearly always needed at most animal shelters, and many people throw them out after their pets die or grow out of them.
4. Use your voice. If you support a particular cause, make it known. At first, it may feel odd, like you're bragging about your charitable contributions. Get over it. There's no need to be obnoxious or tell people how much and how often you donate. A simple mention of the who and why will suffice.
If you happen to have a website, e-mail list, or other public forum, make your support known there, too. There's no rule that says all donations have to be cash. Your influence helps, too.
5. Let someone else allocate the funds. Markmakers offers easy gift cards you can give to kids (or anyone else, really) that offer fun ways to allocate the funds. Instead of buying another toy that will get tossed in a few weeks, kids can dedicate their new funds to the care of injured seals, food for the hungry, and shelter for retired performance animals. In addition to sending the funds to a good cause, you're inspiring your recipient to act compassionately in the future.
6. Use charity-friendly search engines. For instance, GoodSearch sends approximately 1 penny to charity for each search performed through their engine.
7. Make your online purchases through charity malls. Sites like We-Care and Greater Good receive commissions from major retailers and use those commissions to send money to charitable causes.
8. Purchase items that donate proceeds to charity. Hundreds of manufacturers have designated certain items to benefit particular charitable causes. For example, the manufacturers of the Little Pink Toolkit here at Vat19 send $7.90 of each purchase to charity. Marie Claire maintains a list of additional products you can buy to send money to charity while getting something in return. Since it's Marie Claire, the items featured are best suited to women or men who aren't afraid to be associated with the color pink.
One note, though - Don't buy something just because you want to give money to charity. Buy it because you want it and you consider the charitable contribution a bonus. If you prefer just to donate to your favorite charity, that's always an option.
A few more items you can buy to benefit charities:
- Nubar Nail Polish - 10% goes to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
- Try It On Everything - This DVD explores Emotional Freedom Techniques for coping with a variety of personal issues. For each copy purchased, another copy is donated to an organization that could use it (including charities and prisons).
- If you're near Huntington Beach, you can purchase Chalk Hill Estate's Imagine wine at The Californian restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa. Proceeds support the Furth Family Foundation, an organization that benefits children around the world.
- Angel Covers - Their premise is simple: You buy a blanket and they'll donate another to a needy child.
- Submerged: Tales from the Basin - This anthology of stories and images related to hair (really!) sends 10% of its proceeds to causes related to the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
- GOOD Magazine - If you enjoy reading about social and environmental issues, you'll love the fact that 100% of the proceeds of this magazine go to charitable causes.
- Vino 100 Valencia / Hope Wines - 50% of the proceeds from Hope Wines will go to charities that benefit breast cancer, AIDS and autism.
- StinkyKids - 40% of the proceeds from these t-shirts will go to Girls on the Run, an experiential running and life skills program for girls age 8 to 13 years old.
9. Play the free rice game. For each vocabulary question you get correct, Free Rice will donate 20 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program. If you know any high school students getting ready for the SATs or ACTs, this is a great way to brush up.
10. View ads to generate donations. By visiting The Hungersite and viewing ads for their sponsors, you are helping to ensure that more food is sent over to people who need it desperately.
11. Engage in Voluntourism - If you're craving something a little different from the typical "fruity rum drinks on the beach" experience, you could try combining your vacation with service. Voluntourism.org offers a wealth of resources for those who'd like to give back while getting away.
12. Procrastinate - Increasingly social media-savvy nonprofits have figured out ways to use your wasted time for the good of the world in general. Take Lil Green Patch or Earn for Aids, for instance. The use of applications like these results in ad revenue and donations to charities and other worthy causes.
13. Stop Being a Bystander - Somewhere along the line, we learned to distance ourselves from our charitable acts. We want to help, but many of us seem to think that you have to give time or money directly to a charity to be helpful.
Sometimes, that really is the most efficient solution. Who's to say that the family in need of clothing will need exactly the same size you're discarding? Other times, however, your direct assistance is the best help you could possibly offer.
If you see an elderly neighbor who needs help getting the groceries inside, you don't have to send $10 to a local community organization that helps out with those things. You can walk outside, offer your services, and see the difference you're making first-hand.
14. Use your skills - Sites like Idealist.org and Volunteer Match can help you find a wide variety of volunteer opportunities to suit your unique interests and talents. Although you shouldn't necessarily limit yourself to these services, they're a great place to start. If you'd like to help an organization not listed, just call them and ask. As a bonus, you may walk away with a great reference, a friend, or a new skill.
15. Use your body as advertising space. Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting you go out and get "Save the Whales" tattooed on your face. Instead, try something a little more subtle. Wear a t-shirt with your favorite non-profit's name on the front. If that's not your style, pick up some blank tote bags and paint them with the name of your favorite charity. Instead of using plastic bags at the grocery store, you can use your new charity bags and help out both the non-profit and the environment (Thanks to Maureen Alexander for the tip).
16. Encourage Others. If you see someone acting charitably, let them know that you recognize and appreciate what they're doing. You'll brighten their day and give them one more reason to keep giving.
17. Sponsor a volunteer. Although money is important, time is just as valuable for most non-profits. Unfortunately, with gas prices as they are these days, many volunteers are finding it harder and harder to leave the house. If you can't find time to volunteer, why not pick up a spare gas card for someone who can. If you don't know anyone, just send it to the charity you wish to support and let them know of your wishes. They'll be able to put it to good use.
18. Donate Leftovers to a Soup Kitchen - We've all had those meals where we make way too much food and proceed to stare guiltily at the leftovers all week as they sit in the fridge. If you know you won't eat it, send it to someone who can. This isn't available in all communities, but it's more common than you might think.
19. Join 29 Gifts - The idea is simple: Give away 29 items in 29 days and see what happens.
20. Say it on TV - For as little as $100, you can put your message on televison. Just think of what your purchased time could do for a local non-profit.
21. Share your newspapers - Many papers have programs that allow you to divert your unwanted newspapers to local schools if you've moved or gone on vacation.
22. Donate leftovers from business meetings - Anyone who's ever witnessed a typical corporate event is well aware of the waste involved in most conferences and meetings. Instead of letting it go to waste, contact a local shelter beforehand to see if they would be interested in accepting the excess. You can do the same for leftovers from personal parties and family gatherings.
23. Use your corporate matching program - Although a lot of people don't realize it, a large number of corporations will match charitable donations made by their employees. Before you donate money to a cause, check with your employer to see if they'll match it.
24. Take advantage of sales - Every now and then, you'll find a sale that's just too good to pass up. Instead of getting just enough for yourself, try getting a little extra and sending it to someone who truly needs it.
25. Try micro-financing - By gathering a large number of people who are prepared to make small loans, organizations like Kiva and GreenNote have been able to help hundreds achieve their business or educational goals. You'll also get a modest return on your investment in exchange for your faith and assistance.
Have any more ideas? Please feel free to leave them in the comments!
Looking for more ways to help? If you use any social networking services, we encourage you to submit (or Stumble, or Digg, or Buzz, etc.) this post. Remember, if more people read it, more people will be inspired and ultimately take action. Even better, promote the sites of causes you endorse. Exposure never hurts!
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