The First Step in Giving Back

If you’ve been thinking of giving your time or money to a charity or non-profit organization, the first step to consider is WHERE? As first-timers will quickly find out, there are thousands of people, places and organizations to choose from, and choosing the right one for you can be a daunting task.
The best way to begin is to ask yourself this question: “What means the most to me?” Think about the things most important to you, what you have a passion for, or perhaps a health concern that has affected someone close to you. Reflect on this, and it should be easier to find the charity for you.
Whether you have a lot of money or not is irrelevant when it comes to giving financially or otherwise. There are many ways to give money, online and offline, through direct gifts, donor-advised funds, giving circles, or through your place of employment. Giving of your time, on the other hand, can be a much more rewarding way to help, as this offers you some first-hand experience with those you wish to help. This does take more thought, however, as there other concerns such as proximity, time constraints, safety and the impact the experience could have.
Whatever you choose, it really doesn’t take much to get started on giving back through a charity. With the right organization or issue, some time and energy and the willingness to help, everyone can make a difference in the world today.
Categories: Fundraising, Jobs, Organizations, Tips, Volunteering | Tags: charity, donating, Fundraising, giving
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In my previous post, I wrote about how mobile phone carriers have made it so easy and so convenient for the average person to donate to the relief efforts in Haiti. There is absolutely nothing wrong with donating via mobile phone – that’s what I did, actually. However, there is only so much that an individual can give in terms of money, right? If you look at things from a wider perspective, though, if more people band together to help out, the results just might be so much better.
Charities have long had to adjust to the changing landscape surrounding them. Gone are the times when even the average person gave freely to charities. There are many reasons for this, perhaps the harsh economic atmosphere worldwide being the foremost. In any case, whatever the reason, charities – especially the smaller ones – are hard pressed to find ways and means to generate more funds.



