You are here: Home / Archives for Charity

Various Seasonal Needs of Charities

Charity donations occur during every month of the year, for organizations that are on a mission to help those less fortunate. Rescue missions, utility assistance groups and food banks are just a few of the types of charities that accept donations. There are certain months when the charities need additional contributions, like around Christmas time. Charity organizations tend to have a bigger need for donations around September, in order to be prepared for the holiday giving season. Toys, clothing, appliances, furniture and cash can be donated by individuals to the charities to be dispersed to the needy families, in order to spread joy during the holidays.

 

Some people would rather donate cash instead of actual items and that’s perfectly fine, too. In the case of cash donations, the organization can either purchase toys or gifts for the family or allow them to purchase their own gifts. Some of the charities arrange a special day at a department store and simply give the money to the family so that they can buy their own presents for Christmas.

 

Whether you decide to give money or clothes, the tax deductions are beneficial for most people that donate to charity for a given year. Any contributions that are made by December 31st of a specified year can be deducted on that year’s tax returns. Charitable organizations will record your contribution a receipt will be given for your generosity. Keeping your receipts for each contribution throughout the year in a filing system is very helpful when it comes time to file your taxes.

 

Filed Under: Charity Tagged With: , ,

Benefits of supporting a charity in the workplace

Walk for Cancer - Miami Country Day School 

Image by miamism via Flickr

Does your workplace have a chosen charity to support?  If it doesn’t now may be a good time to choose a charity partner to support.  There are many charities out there who need not only monetary support but volunteers and donations too.

So, why should your workplace engage with a charity partner?  Here are a few good reasons why:-

  • Team spirit.  You can get your employees engaged and working together right from the beginning.  Get buy-in from team members by asking them to vote for the charity they most want to support.  Once you have some events organised its a great way to give back to the charity as well as a real feel-good and motivational event for your staff.  We all know a happy team is a more productive team!
  • Good for Business.  Its great marketing to show that your business is working with a charity partner, you can share events and fundraising initiatives on your websites, blogs and even industry and local press. Great PR and great advertising for your business. It will demonstrate your commitment to give back and strengthen your business value proposition.
  • The Charity! Needy local or national charities get to benefit from your contributions of time, money and donations not to mention the great exposure they will get through your fundraising initiatives and media releases.

So, take the step towards a positive initiative which will reward your charity and your business.  A WIN/WIN situation!

 

Filed Under: Charity, Donation Tagged With: , , ,

Find Fulfillment: Find a Charity!

It’s a statement that’s both sad and true: there are many in this world that are in need. Whether it’s victims of natural disasters, domestic abuse, serious illness, poverty, or illiteracy, people near and far could do with a helping hand. Volunteering and performing charity work are acts that have the power to change lives. They bring fulfillment and satisfaction. They provide aid to those who need it most. No one is too young or too old to help others, often getting more in the process by volunteering.
Give to Your Community – Go Local!

Uncovering areas to volunteer is easy with the help of a website like Canada 411. It will point you in the direction of shelters, hospitals, and organizations in your area, even providing a map so you can easily find your way. Contact information like phone numbers will be listed too, so you can get in touch with listed organizations and find out what they need the most, be it time, donations, or a little handy work.

They Need You!

If you’re looking to make a positive difference in someone’s life, your life, and the lives of your children, volunteering is the way to do it. While you can volunteer your time and resources on a worldwide scale, there are great opportunities to perform charity work in your own backyard. Finding places to volunteer locally is easy — all you need is your computer.

Volunteering is an easy way to make a huge impact. Everyone has something to give; who will you lend a helping hand to?

Filed Under: Charity, Donation Tagged With: , ,

What Charities Need During Certain Seasons

STAFFORD, VA - DECEMBER 16: U.S. first lady M...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

By charity, people generally mean that you are giving up something valuable for an individual or a group of individuals. It could be in any form – money, food, clothes, toys or medicines. When people are lacking in all these basic things, they accept charity. Therefore, if you want to give something in charity this year, then you can go through what charities need during certain seasons. It helps a lot because you know you are finally giving away something that are really to be used by someone somewhere.

You could inspire your children to give away their used clothes and toys and teach them to give only those in good condition. They are to be used by kids who live in charity homes, so give them only workable things. Don’t give away something because you have no use for it at home. The US Marine Corps Reserve has a special program called Toys for Tots and it is a tax-deductible donation. The donations are usually received during a ceremony or sports event conducted by the Corps in the months of October, November and December. It is usually during Christmas that people donate a lot, especially to the Salvation Army and the Red Cross.

The holiday season is the best time to make a donation because it is the time for fun, joy and excitement. Children without families, ‘orphaned’ parents and the terminally ill all need a lot of love and care. Not just during the holiday season, these charities need help throughout the year, so do your best and leave small change in the charity box in the store where you buy things.

Filed Under: Charity Tagged With: , ,

Effective Steps to Successfully Promote a Charity Event

Whether it is based around the homeless or abused animals, charity is a great way to give back and provides an overall good feeling for those who are involved. However, simply taking the initiative to create a charity or put on a charitable event is not enough; there is a great deal of work that goes into getting things off the ground.

Fortunately, there are some fairly simplistic steps one can follow in the pursuit of getting a charitable event off the ground and effectively promoted. Like most things, having a plan in place prior to getting the ball rolling is a sure way to experience success.

Save Money on Advertising

Think up ways to save money on advertising. Fortunately, there are many effective ways to reach people while simultaneously not damaging the pocketbook. Handing out flyers is one way to inexpensively reach the masses.

Get a Committee Together

In getting your charitable event off the ground, get a committee together consisting of peers or friends that share the same passion you do. Going this route provides multiple insights that tend to lead to more effective results pertaining to the different aspects of what needs to be accomplished. A committee is a must for your charitable organization.

Brainstorm Advertising and Promotional Options

Begin to think about what kinds of advertising and promotions that can be done to make the public aware of the event. Brainstorm ways to reach a large audience without spending a large sum of money. Utilizing items such as postings in crowded areas is a great way to make people aware of your nonprofit event.

Filed Under: Charity, General Tagged With: , ,

Things to Remember When Giving to Charity

Walk for Cancer - it's raining!
Image by miamism via Flickr

Donations are always a welcome addition to any charity particularly during difficult times when the need is so high. There are so many needy homes it is difficult for many of the charities to keep up with the overwhelming numbers. These are entire families in need of the very basics that simply can’t afford to buy them on their own. When you are considering cleaning out and giving to a charity it is important to understand the basic needs of the charity. This doesn’t mean they won’t be welcoming to whatever you have to offer be being aware of the things they are in desperate need of can be a big help.

Typically the charities are looking for somewhat current styles or those timeless pieces that never go out of style. They are also in search of good quality clothing in good condition. Though these individuals are in need the charity wants to be sure they are getting items that are in good shape to start with to give them a longer life for those in need as it is unlikely they will be able to replace the items when they are worn. It is also a good idea to confirm with the charity if they will be giving the items to the individuals in need directly or if the plan is to sell the items and use the funds to help those in need. This may change what types of items they are looking for.

Keeping in mind the season is also a good idea. There may be an overwhelming need for winter clothing for the upcoming cold seasons and items like blankets and boots. These are all things to keep in mind when you are searching through the closet deciding what you would like to part with. Someone will appreciate what you have to offer.

Filed Under: Charity Tagged With: , ,

Donating to Charity

The odds are good that around your home you have some items in your home that a charity or non-profit organization in the area may be looking for. There are a lot of great things that you can donate to such an organization, especially because non-profit organizations are always on the lookout for helpful donations that they can use to fund all of the important and necessary work that they are doing. One of the best things that you can do is to place a phone call to the non-profit or charity that you want to donate to, let them know that you are interested in making a donation, and ask them what types of items they are looking for so that you could ensure that your donation is useful and beneficial to them.

The non-profit organization, for example, may be in need of some specific types of items like tools, or even trees. They may need basic goods such as toilet paper or canned goods. It all depends on the type of charity and what their current needs are. Most not-for-profit organizations keep up-to-date lists of everything that they need so they can give you a good idea of what you can donate. Another great way that you can donate is to to donate your time in the form of volunteering. What kinds of useful skills do you have that you can donate to a charity in need, such as the ability to write, social media experience, graphic design, or just labor?

Another great idea is just to donate a cash donation, or another form of money donation. Whether you decide to donate cash, prepaid credit card, check, gift card or through online donations, giving money to a charity or non-profit organization allows the organization to determine how they will best use the money, which is great if they have a lengthy list of needs and you are having trouble deciding what to donate.

Filed Under: Charity, Donation Tagged With: , ,

The Forgotten Homeless

Many social projects out there can reveal some very interesting truths about Americans and the way that they live, but on occasion one is far more socially relevant than just revealing the way another person lives. It can be about promoting social change and really understanding the social stigmas that have existed and why they are not truth.

No project has been more socially relevant in the last few years than the Underheard project in New York City. To say that New York City has a homeless problem would be an understatement of epic proportions. So many of the city’s homeless operate under the guise of anonymity that’s it’s easy to forget about them altogether.

All that changed with a good idea and prepaid cell phones. The project came with the idea that the founders, Rosemary, Willy and Robert must “do something good.” They decided that they would give the homeless in New York a voice. So they arranged for a cell phone with unlimited data and a Twitter account so these homeless men and women could tell their stories to the rest of the world.

The project focused not just on the feelings of being homeless, but the enormity of their struggle to survive out in the world. There are plenty of people who think that the homeless have given up, but there are more, thanks to projects like this, that understand the work involved in being homeless.

These men had to tell their story. They had to talk about what life on the streets was like and they had to serve as a reminder to the rest of the country that homelessness can happen to anyone and it can happen in a second.

The second part of their project was to “do something good…famously” and they were able to accomplish that through the nationwide attention they have received. They have done a good thing and it’s making people take notice.

Filed Under: Charity, Volunteer Tagged With: , ,

Young Children Like to Help Give Back

Every so often, you see stories on the news about young children who have raised thousands of dollars, or more, for a charity of their choice. These stories tend to pull at us. Children want to go out and help people. When you see children being helpful, you find that you want to help out as well. Many times, the children that see or hear these stories will try to emulate them. They will start a lemonade stand, or start collecting cans. Unfortunately, in a lot of cases, it turns out that there is too much time and work involved to keep these children going. Today, though, there are options for young ones to help others.

There are websites today that are dedicated to micro giving. This is a way that anyone can raise money for a project or charity that they are wanting to work with or do. Utilizing crowd funding, or micro giving, a child can easily raise money for an online charity. This allows them to help others, without having to sacrifice as much as their homework time. This makes both the child, and their parents, much happier.

When you are trying to raise money for a charity, make sure that you state exactly what it is you are trying to do. Make sure that you let everyone you know about your work. Whether you want to work on making the neighborhood a better place for other children, or you want to donate to a well known charity, you will find that you are much more likely to raise the money that you need when you are doing it online. With the Internet playing such a big part in our lives today, you are sure to make the money that you need, when you utilize this amazing tool.

Filed Under: Charity, Volunteer Tagged With: , ,

Raise Donations for Charity Organizations

Have fun raising donations for your charity organization. Raising funds for a good cause doesn’t mean you have to spend countless hours in a cramped office stuffing envelopes that will only be thrown away unopened. Plan an event that allows people to gather and have fun together while publicly proclaiming their support of your cause.

One great idea for a charity fundraiser is to hold a music festival. Many bands will play for free or at very low cost to help support a cause. This also gives them publicity for their own work. Your charity can profit from ticket sales in addition to donations. Talk with local grocers to see if they will donate beer, beverages, and snacks. Ask local scout groups, organizations, and friends to bake some goods that you can sell at the concert with all the proceeds going to your charity organizations.

Another fundraiser option is a high-end poker game. Set up a tournament using poker tables that you borrow, rent, or own. The participants in the game will pay to play, supporting your charity. Of course, to draw people in, you’ll want to offer some great prizes. Call some local businesses to see if they are willing to donate some prizes. This will give them publicity, too. It never hurts for them to support a charity when it comes to tax-time, too. Just as in the music festival option, you can offer refreshments for a cost in addition to taking donations. All these options added together can greatly benefit your charity organization with publicity and financial contributions.

Don’t forget about the ever-popular 50/50 raffle at your charity fundraising event. Charge a small fee for each ticket sold. Hold a drawing at a specified time. The individual with the winning ticket gets half the money from the ticket sales, and your charity gets the other half.

Filed Under: Charity, Donation, Volunteer Tagged With: , ,
« Older Posts