There are so many charities out there doing amazing work, and it’s natural to want to help them as much as possible. Luckily, whichever cause you’re passionate about, there are lots of different ways for you and your family to support these organizations. Looking for some ideas? Here are five to get you started!
1. Donate
Perhaps the most obvious way to help a charity is to donate to them. This could be financial, for example, by setting up a regular direct debit or making a one-off contribution to a particular appeal, but there are other options too. For instance, you could donate any unwanted clothes, toys, or books to a charity store or food items to a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. Similarly, animal shelters often welcome donations of toys and food for cats and dogs. You could even consider donating blood – an action that will literally save lives.
2. Fundraise
Another way to help charities and nonprofit organizations is to do some fundraising for them. There are lots of options here, too, such as being sponsored to run a marathon or do some other sort of challenge, holding an event or raffle in your office, or having a bake sale. Depending on where you work, you could also put a donation tin out to encourage colleagues, customers, or clients to give their spare change.
3. Volunteer
One fantastic way to help charities is to volunteer your time. This could be on a regular basis or just for one-off events. With so many opportunities available, you’re sure to find something that suits your skills and interests. For instance, you could tutor disadvantaged children, serve meals at a soup kitchen, feed animals in a shelter, plant trees, hand out leaflets, or help a local charity with their website. Many charities have programs suitable for children, too, so you could make it a family day out! It’s a great way to boost their confidence and teach them new skills.
4. Shop at charity stores
How we choose to spend our money can also make a difference in the world. By choosing to shop in charity stores, you can directly help a cause that you care about, but you can also have an indirect impact by supporting businesses and companies with good ethical policies. This could be in terms of their environmental impact, how they treat their staff, or whether they pay their taxes correctly.
5. Teach your kids about the importance of giving
We all want to bring up our children to be generous and ethical people, and taking some time to teach them about the importance of supporting nonprofit organizations is a good way to do this. You can talk to them about the causes that you’re passionate about, encourage them to give their unwanted toys to charity, or get them involved with the volunteer work you do. Be sure to find out what sort of causes they’re interested in, too, as they’re more likely to want to get involved with something that matches their interests. Even encouraging your kids to help out your neighbors and be kind to strangers can make a big difference.