8 Strategic Tips For You To Make A Donation To Charities This Holiday Season
The end of the year is approaching and you should already be full of plans to meet family and friends, exchange gifts and eat a lot of special treats from this era!
However, we can not forget that not everyone is so lucky – and many people depend on a gesture of solidarity on our part to participate in a little of this party. Learn how you can make a donation at the end of the year and ensure that it is a well-taken advantage of by those who need it most:
1. Your money has already yielded during the year
Rationally, making a donation at the end of the year might be a good idea if you’ve already left some money making over the past 12 months. If you have savings, for example, your starting amount will already be a little bigger in December.
2. Know how much you can donate
Making a donation does not mean opening a gap in your budget. For this, however, you need to know how much money you can earmark a charity without harming your financial commitments. Most people just give away a maximum of 2% of their income, but of course, this is a decision that is at their discretion.
3. Choose a cause that is important to you
Maybe you are passionate about animals and would like to help an NGO that cares for elderly dogs. Or, someone close to you (or yourself) has faced a serious illness this year and you would like to contribute to institutions that are dedicated to caring for patients who are experiencing the same problem. The fact is that there are many causes that deserve our help. Choose the one with which you most identify.you most identify.
4. Reflect on the size of the institution
Are you in doubt about helping a large nationwide institution or a small institution that makes a difference in your neighborhood? Note that both alternatives are valid.
By donating to a large institution, your contribution will be one more among the others, but the combined impact of all of them can have a very significant effect on society. Whether you prefer to donate to a small institution, your collaboration alone can make all the difference in the life of a person or family. Choose what makes you feel better.
5. Check the institution’s seriousness
Unfortunately, many people take advantage of others’ goodwill to make improper profits. So it is never too much to check the origins of the institution for which you intend to donate and check how these contributions are used.
One way to do this is to consult the Social Welfare Department of your city, which usually maintains a register of NGOs operating in the municipality. If possible, visit the organization’s headquarters to get a closer look at the work and make sure your donations are well spent.
6. Set your donation by goals
Still not sure how much it would be appropriate to donate? So you can think of amounts that can serve a “full” purpose. Explaining: do you know when an institution says that with 100 reais, it is possible to ensure that a family keeps their children in school for the entire month? This means that by donating that amount, you would help the organization fully meet that goal.
7. It does not have to be just money
Many organizations accept donations of clothing, footwear, and other items, either to the community assisted by them or to fundraising through a bazaar. In this case, it is important that the items are clean and in good repair.
In fact, the end of the year is an excellent time to organize your closet and practice detachment with those pieces that you will no longer use and that can make the biggest difference in the lives of other people.
8. Your time is also worth a lot
Are you unable or unwilling to donate money? Alright, your time can also be very valuable to charities. After all, they always need people willing to collaborate on day-to-day and special events.
To find out how you can help, you can go to the websites of organizations in your city or call them and find out about volunteering positions. Your skills are certainly very much needed somewhere.
The end of the year always makes us reflect on the events of the past twelve months and the good and bad experiences that we will bring into our lives. It is very well to take advantage of this time to thank all that you have received in this period.
If your year has not been so cool, how about doing a good action to shake up what you would like to be different? This is a great way to pave the way for more positive energies to come to you next year.