Tag: donating

How to Get Your Family Giving this Holiday Season

There’s something about this time of year that puts people in a charitable mood. Known as the “season of giving,” the holiday season each year is a time when people set aside their daily concerns for themselves and look for ways they can benefit others and society as a whole. Not only do we give gifts to the ones we hold dear, but we even give to strangers with no hope for recognition or commendation for our efforts, like selfless secret santas trying to bring a little cheer to the world. Make giving a tradition in your family that will last through the generations with these ways to get the whole group involved in giving this season.

Find ways to help out while cleaning out.

  • Move your spring cleaning up a bit and go through your old belongings that you no longer use and donate them! A few weeks before Christmas, take a day or two and go through any old junk you have lying around to see what you can give to help others. Great items to donate include blankets, gently used clothing, books, toys, and so on. This practice can help your children cut back on materialism throughout the holidays by seeing their old toys and belongings go to people who need them more.

Spread your cheer through the neighborhood.

  • The holidays can be a lonely time of year for people whose loved ones have passed on or whose families have other plans occupying their time. Why not teach your children the value giving their time and company rather than money by visiting the elders in your community and sharing your merriment with them. You can also get the whole family involved in baking cookies and then distributing them throughout your community.

Forego some presents.

  • In 2015, the average person spent $830 on Christmas presents for their loved ones, and for parents, most of that money was likely spent on presents for the children. Let your children see how far just a little money could go for someone living in poverty, especially in developing countries, by taking a portion of the money you usually spend on gifts and donating it to an organization like Samaritan’s Purse where just $7 can provide a child with a week’s worth of hot meals. Let them pick out the gifts themselves to get them really involved and feel as though they’ve personally made a difference in the lives of others.

Around the holidays, even the smallest bit that you do can make a world of difference in the lives of people who struggle to survive each passing day. Help improve their wellbeing while also teaching your children the value of helping others and how good it can feel to be selfless by looking for ways to get your children involved in giving during the holiday season.

lloyd claycomb Why People Don't Give to Charity

Why People Don’t Give to Charity

Helping those less fortunate than yourself is a great way to make a difference while spending your money, and many people across the country are seeing the benefits themselves. Each year, the number of people donating and the amount they’re giving increases; in 2015, the total amount donated to charitable organizations was $373.25 billion, an increase of 4% (adjusted for inflation) from 2014. However, with all that people are giving and all the good that’s being done, for some reason or another, some people still don’t see the need to donate their money to benefit others. Here are some of the top reasons why people don’t give to charity, and why they should anyways.

We feel most strongly connected with those closest to us.

In terms of intimacy as well as geographical distance, we are more likely to give to causes or victims that are close to us than we are to help long-distance. Australian philosopher Peter Singer noted that, while Americans generously gave over $1.5 billion in disaster relief to the victims of the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia, their donation during Hurricane Katrina of $6.5 billion  was more than four times as much; to put this into perspective, 1,600 people were killed during Hurricane Katrina while 220,000 were killed in the tsunami. Our overwhelming interest in helping only those closest to us has lead to only 5% of the country’s donations being sent to help on an international level. While you may not feel as though you need to give because your home is not directly being affected by a tragedy or plight, there are countless people out there who are and could greatly benefit from your help.

“I need my money for my family.”

Providing for your family and those dependent on you should always be your number one concern when it comes to money. However, even between bills, loans, and saving for the future, there are ways that you can still contribute without digging into your family’s future. First, look for little expenditures in life you could give to others instead; maybe give up your morning coffee one day a week and set that money aside for charity. Next, identify charitable organizations that have a track record of being reliable and effective, then target your donations to them for the maximum impact for your dollar.

We don’t think our contribution makes a difference.

In times of crisis, it’s not uncommon to see celebrities or other public figures donating tens of thousands of dollars towards the cause, which can make your $10 or $20 donation feel irrelevant. However, in some of the most impoverished nations, the smallest donations can make a huge impact. In fact, the organization Project Healthy Children (PHC) has developed a fortification operation that can feed a person for an entire year for less than a dollar. With the varying costs of living around the world, a small amount of money in the United States can go a long way in other countries in need.

We assume someone else will do it.

Often referred to as the “bystander effect,” we as humans have a tendency to believe that, even if we don’t lend a hand, there’s someone else who will pick up the slack. This belief allows us to quiet our consciences and feel as though we contributed by giving thought to helping without actually helping at all. Instead of letting the burden of responsibility fall to someone else, be proactive and affect change by helping out in whatever way you can.

origins of philanthropy

The Origins of Philanthropy

Philanthropy is an age old ideal and belief system that deals with the desire to help those less fortunate than you take care of themselves. While the primary focus of charity is to help reduce the suffering and pain caused by social problems and injustices, philanthropy differs by actively seeking solutions for the various social problems themselves. In essence, charity and philanthropy demonstrate the two halves of “give a man a fish, feed him for the day; teach a man to fish, feed him for life” philosophy, respectively. Philanthropy seeks to empower the individuals in need by helping them actualize their own potential and learn valuable skills that can help them get their lives back in order.

Etymologically speaking, philanthropy literally means “the love of humanity.” The word itself comes from the Greek word philanthropia — meaning kindness/humanity/love/benevolence to mankind — with philo meaning ‘loving’, and anthropos meaning ‘mankind.’

Modern philanthropy — or what we think of as philanthropy today — has its roots in ancient cultures. Many old-world cultures have placed great importance on the act of benevolence; Chinese classical thought, Hindu scriptures, and the ancient Greeks all considered philanthropy and acts of giving to be an essential part of our existence as human beings and even as “fundamental to democracy.” Similar ideals on giving can be seen across many cultures all throughout history; ancient sub-Saharan civilizations held kindness and the act of reciprocity in high esteem, Native American cultures believed in the practice of giving as a way to promote balance and harmony in their lives, and classic, widespread Judeo-Christian religions all preach “doing onto others as you would have done to you” as a means of helping others.

In the 1100s, Moses Maimonides — a philosopher and rabbi — first put all of these similar ideals together in the same words under his “Golden Ladder of Charity” found in the Mishneh Torah where he details the different levels of giving, from being forced to give to willingly donating to people unknown. His hierarchy for philanthropy and giving has helped to shape our notions of giving all the way up through present times.

Sources often cite 1914 as the date when modern philanthropy began in the United States. Ohio banker Frederick Goff developed the idea for ‘community foundations,’ a new type of philanthropy that focused its attention on the problems found in the individual philanthropist’s home area, be it a town, city, or small neighborhood.

When it comes to philanthropy, it doesn’t matter how much you give, the important thing is that you are doing something to help make better the lives of those less fortunate than yourself. As Saint Mother Teresa once said, “It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into the doing that matters.”

disaster-relief

How to Give When Disaster Strikes

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When a disaster happens, you want to help in any way that you can. Be it a hurricane like in New Orleans, an earthquake like in Haiti, a tsunami like in Japan, the terror attacks like in France, or any other natural or manmade disaster, humanity leaps into action to rally behind whatever nation or nations have been affected. While it can feel great to donate your money to help people in need, the opportunity to lend aid also comes with people looking to take advantage of benevolence. Make sure that your kindness isn’t exploited and read these tips for giving during a disaster.

  • Don’t donate supplies. When you hear on the news that people have gone for over a day without food or water, the tugging at your heartstrings can make it difficult not to start a canned food or clothing drive to lend a hand. As nice of a sentiment as this is, it’s not a practical way to help the people who need it most. It would be difficult to send packages into the disaster area especially if no one is there to receive them and distribute them accordingly. If you have supplies to get rid of that you’d like to donate to a cause, look for a place like Goodwill that takes clothing donations or sell your used garments to a thrift shop and then donate the money you make to aid the disaster victims.
  • Don’t donate over the phone. While it might be much more convenient for you to give over the phone than have to mail in a check or visit a donation center, it’s one of the easiest ways for people looking to exploit the disaster to operate. For this and many other reasons, you should never give out your credit card information to someone who’s called you soliciting money over the phone. If the cause is one that strikes your interest, ask them to send you more information and do more research before donating.
  • Do your research before donating online. Before donating on one of the websites that pop up in your Facebook feed, make sure you know where your money is actually going. Many ‘charities’ — if you can call them that — operate under the guise of lending aid but some keep as much as 97 cents on the dollar, donating just 3 cents to the causes they claim your donation is going to help. Do your homework and find causes who are actually committed to helping the same cause that you are; if possible, go to the charity’s authorized website directly to find how you can help. The same way you should be skeptical of causes reaching out for you to donate over the phone, be wary of email solicitations as well, and make sure you know where you’re giving before you do.

 

tips before volunteering

4 Tips Before Volunteering

Volunteering is one of the most positively impactful things you can do as a person. However, in recent years, the number of people who are opting to volunteer is dwindling; in 2015 only 24.9% of the population chose to volunteer their time to help those in need. Many times, people would like to volunteer but have no idea how or where to even get started. There are many decisions to take into consideration when choosing to volunteer, and you may be faced with decisions that you don’t even know that you’re making. Before you choose to volunteer your time or donate your money to a cause, make sure that it’s a cause that will use your donations and services in the best way to serve the greater good.

  1. Determine what you can offer. If you want to volunteer, make sure that you don’t stretch yourself too thin trying to do too much. Ask yourself questions like: How much of my time can I give on a weekly or monthly basis? What am I willing to do, and what am I not willing to do? What do I want to take away from this experience? Make sure that you’re being realistic about your goals and honest with yourself about what you’re actually able to do.
  2. Find a charity whose efforts match your philanthropic passions. For example, if you’re passionate about helping animals, do your homework; if your goal is to help them find homes, then you may want to locate a no-kill shelter. Identify what you hope to accomplish by volunteering, and find organizations that meet the same goals.
  3. Stick to your commitment. You start out saying that you’re going to volunteer every night of the week, but it very quickly slips back to one night a week at best due to other commitments and time constraints. If you choose to volunteer, be reasonable about your commitment and when you make one, stick to it! If you’re constantly being a no-show volunteer, you’re doing more damage to the organization than if you had been realistic from the start.
  4. Look at where your time and money will go. A 2013 study revealed that 50 of the worst charities in America devoted less than 4% of their donations to direct cash aid — something to which many people believe their entire donation goes. Before you select a charitable organization to donate your time or money, do your research. Find out how much of what you give will directly benefit the cause you’re trying to help and how your efforts will directly impact it as well.

Volunteering is more than something that you should do, it needs to be something that you want to do. Finding a cause that speaks to you and committing your time to helping it can engage you in ways that nothing ever will.

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