There is no force more powerful than the collective power of ordinary people.
You can help mold the bigger picture in these four simple steps!
You can help mold the bigger picture in these four simple steps!
I am a firm believer in giving- giving time, our last $20, lending our voice- giving more to the world than we take. Many of us fall into the trap of thinking that we, as individuals, can't really make much of a difference. This couldn't be further from the truth.
1. Find which cause or causes are important to you
1. Find which cause or causes are important to you
This first step is really important. I used to donate a little bit of money to a
lot of different charities and spend my time volunteering randomly for all
sorts of causes. I would give my credit
card information to every person that stopped me on the street or out in front
of the grocery store asking me to sign up to donate monthly to their cause.
However, at the end of the day I didn’t feel like my efforts were making as big
off a difference as I could. Deciding on one or two causes, and then one or two charities for each, to put your time, money and resources into will
allow for maximum impact.
2. Volunteer your time
While charitable organizations need money to stay up and
running, they also need people who are willing to pitch in and help with
day-to-day operations. Volunteering is one of the best ways to give back to
your community. But don't be one of those people that volunteers once a year- choose 1 day a month instead to dedicate to your charity or your community for maximum impact.
Want to take your generosity one step further? Really get involved in your charity. Attend meetings for your favorite charity where you can brainstorm, offer solutions or organize, or take on a chair position and be responsible for a specific task within the charity. This takes a little bit more commitment, but it’s incredibly rewarding to be really involved and making a big difference.
VolunteerMatch.org is a great resource for finding volunteer opportunities within your community.
VolunteerMatch.org is a great resource for finding volunteer opportunities within your community.
3. Get others involved
This is an often overlooked way to make a huge impact. Teach
your friends and family members about the causes in which you are invested, and
invite them to help volunteer at events, give money to charity, and continue to
spread the work. Use social media to your advantage. Post articles and links to
the charities encouraging others to give to your cause and educate themselves
about it.
Another great and easy way to involve others is to have a group garage sale, or start a donations box within your
neighborhood, apartment complex or community for your local food bank, homeless
or animal shelter.
4. Donate
First and foremost, not all charities are created equal. Spend some time researching where your money is going before you write that check. That said, donating can be difficult when you’re on a budget and many
people feel like a small amount of money won’t help. This couldn’t be further
from the truth. A lot of small donations often make the biggest difference. For
example, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital receives most of their fundraising on an average
gift of $30. Another great example is the Bernie Sanders’ Campaign, which was funded by average donations of
$27. Put aside $10, $20, $30 a month for
the causes of your choice. I like to have my donations automatically debited to ensure I don't forget.
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