Charities Blog

Giving Something Back

A Guide to Companies With Charitable Programs

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In 2012, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) was debated in Congress, it was discussed on social media, and it was headline news across major news outlets. The bill was so controversial that many companies were forced to take a position on the legislation. For a passionate group of consumers interested in Internet freedom, it was time to express their opinions with their wallets. Before they got out their credit cards or renewed their subscriptions, they needed to know if the company did or didn’t support SOPA.

In fact, demand for that information was so high there were even a few apps that were created that allowed smartphones to scan the packaging and barcode of a product to see if that company supported or didn’t support the bill.

Ever since the SOPA debate, the nature of our attention on companies has shifted. Now, consumers want to know about the overall positive or negative impact a company has on society. During the SOPA debate, the focus was on a company’s political stance, but the lesson consumers took from the entire conversation was that they liked buying from companies they felt were doing good for society.

Trying to decide if a company is “doing good” based on their political positions is often too subjective, and makes consumers vulnerable to poll-tested responses. But charity donations and charitable programs are a much more objective way to feel good about the companies we support. So it is helpful to be aware of the companies that participate in these sorts of programs and in what ways.

One example of a company making a charitable donation is S&S Worldwide in Colchester, Connecticut. S&S is a company that sells educational toys for children of all ages and supplies for camping, crafts, and other projects. They also sell therapeutic toys, games and objects for elders or children with special needs. S&S has provided multiple donations to a local children’s camp, which helps fund the camp’s programs and provides scholarships for kids whose parents can’t afford to send them to camp. 

Another company that runs a donation program is Stanton Optical, an eyewear company with retail locations across the U.S. In addition to corporate sponsorship programs with the Epilepsy Society and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, they also donate Stanton Optical eyeglasses through product donations.

FileMaker Inc, a database software company, also makes product donations to non-profit organizations and provides special discounts to nonprofits that need to buy large quantities of software. The company also has a separate website for nonprofits that offers guidance on fundraising and other relevant information.

Charity on TV – Fundraising on Air

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Charity work is essentially about the voluntary giving of help or assistance to people who are in need. Systematic charitable work is carried out by organizations. In order for a charitable organization to pursue its objectives of helping the needy, it must be able to address its main concern about fundraising.

Charitable organizations usually have benefactors who may provide their main source of funding. However, it is quite possible that they will still need to do fundraising activities to further support their programs. One of the more popular forms of soliciting funds is charity on TV or fundraising on air.

Fundraising through TV is primarily carried out through Telethon events such as the UK Comic Relief and the Children in Need. A Telethon is basically a fundraising event which goes on television broadcast that may be held for a number of hours or days.  The main purpose of course is to raise money for a worthy cause.

A telethon is distinct in offering entertainment similar to a variety show while receiving pledges for donations.  The work itself is derived from the words television and marathon.  It has totally changed the face of fundraising from the basic face-to-face interaction to a highly technical way of moving funds from one source to the beneficiary.

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On-air fundraising on TV makes use of the power of media to create awareness for a cause and provide a convincing call to action for viewers to give, donate, or contribute typically in cash.  Some telethons however also receive donations in kind especially for causes related to extensive natural disasters.  Through telethons, it has become easier for viewers to give.

Early forms of telethons mainly relied on pledges made over the phone.  Today, it is possible to text donations on the day of the telethon and the handling organization can report millions of dollars in raised funds within the same day.

Telethons can be done once for a specific purpose or annually for a much larger beneficiary group.  Causes such as those related to child welfare have continuous needs for funding and will require a systematic way of getting it.  An annual or even a semi-annual telethon is a good way to go about it.

TV is not merely limited entertainment as it can be used for more noble causes such as charity work.  Service providers such as DirectTVDeal.com have made it possible for viewers to have access to more TV shoes including charity TV shows.

About the Author:
Teresa is a researcher-writer who covers a wide range of topics in search of useful information to provide readers.

 

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Does Charity Always Help?

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“Charity is injurious unless it helps the recipient to become independent of it.”  – John D. Rockefeller

When Rockefeller spoke these words, he knew that in such a noble deed as charity, there is still a risk of it being damaging to the recipients of the charity.  This is because of the possibility that they will become fully dependent on others and will no longer work on their own to improve their situation.  Givers of charity are therefore encouraged to assess if they are actually helping people in their acts of charity or simply encouraging them to be dependent on other people and institutions.

Acts of charity therefore are not always beneficial to the recipient.  This is specifically in situations where beneficiaries of charitable support are not taught to take care of themselves after the initial assistance.  Charity is also seen as non-beneficial when it merely becomes a band-aid solution to problems that require comprehensive changes.

It can be very difficult to associate negativity with something so noble as charity.  For how is it possible that something intended to help will turn out badly?  The problem is not in the intention.  It is usually with the implementation that something goes wrong.

Some people see a lack of fairness when donors and philanthropists have the power to choose the recipients of their charitable act.  Many believe that charitable works must be distributed according to real priorities and needs and not according to personal preference and choice.  But how does one argue with a donor?

There are also concerns about charity that comes with conditions.  This is related to requiring the recipients to do or not do a specific act in exchange for receiving the benefits.  If the conditions set are manipulative and violates human rights,  there are obvious contrasts to the noble purpose of charity.  If the conditions are set to ensure that the recipients truly benefit beyond the initial dole-out, then such conditions are deemed positive.

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About the Author:

Teresa is a professional researcher-writer on a wide range of topics.

Charity Work – Is it For You?

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If you think that the only job available for the charity industry is to get donations, you will definitely be surprised that there is a wide margin of employment opportunities in this industry.  People who are looking into finding jobs in this sector will most likely find them in not-for-profit organizations, charitable institutions, as well as various voluntary and community organizations.

The charity industry involves many types of work for it to accomplish its objective.  Administrative work is considerable since there is a lot of documentary and paper work to be accomplished.  Fundraising, is only one of the many works that has to be done.  In relation to fundraising, there is also the matter of educating new members of the industry.

Other areas of concern for potential employees of the charity industry includes works related to specific issues such as animal conservation, environment conservation and research, and health education and promotion.  Other duties to be performed includes emergency work, policy development, as well as provision of care services.  Charity organizations also need managers adept at human resources management, financial management, and scientific and social research development.

There is as much opportunity to gain career satisfaction in the charity industry although the pay may not be as much as in the corporate world.  In terms of experience, there is much to expect and probably even more.  There are also job opportunities similar to those found in the business sector such as accounting, marketing, and IT.  Charity work is not for everyone but it is definitely for some people.  If that includes you – that is for you to find out.

How to Get Donors for Charity

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Charity programs cannot lift-off from the planning stage if there are no donors to back it up.  It is a challenge to find willing donors to give the first time but it can be more challenging to ask the second time and all the other times that is expected to follow.  Another challenge is to find additional or new donors especially when the usual donors are not able to come up to expectations.

Donors, especially those that give in considerable amounts do not usually give without understanding the purpose of the charity program.  Charity organizers therefore have to  have a clear purpose for their fundraising.  This would include determining the beneficiary, the specific way in which the beneficiary is to be helped, the amount needed to be raised , and other important details that will support the fundraising activity as a legitimate effort.

Studies would show that donors tend to come in droves in times of great tragedy that affects many such as the most recent Japan tsunami tragedy.  However, this will not last for a very long time since there will be other tragedies and calamities that will affect another part of the world or be nearer home.  There is the hard reality to face that funds from donors may run out earlier than the completion of a disaster-recovery program.  Charity organizers will have to think of ways to convince donors to give by citing for example that the fundraising is now entering a new phase like providing for the  livelihood of victims.  Whatever it is, there must be a valid reason for continuing a program.

Donors also have a tendency to give more to specific cases such as one particular child.  Some potential donors tend to get overwhelmed by big fundraising activities in relation to the small amount they are able to contribute thinking that it wouldn’t matter whether they give or not.  Charity organizers should also provide clear steps in which donors can properly and swiftly respond to the solicitation.

In Support of Educational Charities

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Organizational and individual philanthropists should consider supporting educational charities for the main reason that these charities help an important sector of the society – the students.  Students are not limited to children but also include adults trying to pursue and finish their stalled educational goals.  Educational charities exist because there are people who need financial assistance to finish their studies and there are schools that need to be supported to make this happen.

Educational charities therefore cater to students of all ages ranging from pre-school to graduate school.  They usually channel educational assistance through school scholarships which they sponsor.  They can also choose to support students individually subject to set requirements.  Other forms of assistance provided by educational charities are provided through financial aid services and sponsoring school reform, as well as developmental programs for teachers and students.

Another area where educational charities have much to offer in terms of assistance is in the area of research.  Research programs are usually costly to maintain but offers considerable benefits to mankind when pursued successfully.  Education charities usually have the means and resources to initiate positive changes that can be made by supporting the educational system.  Programs for experiential learning also benefits from the assistance of educational charities.

There is much to gain from supporting educational charities since they support a system that involves people from all walks of life.  By supporting education, people are also supporting attainment of knowledge that will redound to the benefit of mankind.

The Purpose of Charitable Organizations

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To be organized and operated for purposes that are beneficial to the public interest – such is the main thrust of charities or charitable organizations.  They are quite distinct from other entities that exist primarily to do business and earn a profit.  Because they exist for a noble purpose, they are in turn provided relief from taxes. 

There should be no marked difference in the general objectives of charitable organizations whether they are private foundations or public charities.  The main difference between the two is the manner of sourcing their funds.  While the former get their funds from a single source such as an individual, a family, or a corporation, the latter received theirs in the form of grants from private foundations, government, and also individuals in their own capacity.  Public charities are allowed to solicit funds from the public in the form of activities that will lead to grants. 

There are at least three purposes that have remained consistent throughout time and these include poverty relief, education advancement, and religion advancement.  However, there are other purposes that have been accepted for being beneficial to the community such as the erection of public buildings or works and the maintenance thereof, fight against community deterioration, protection of rights as mandated by law, and easing the burden of government, among others. Some organizations which promote sports competition are also classified as charities. 

Clearly, any organization that could manifest its relevance in providing benefits to the public without asking payment for its delivery can be considered a charity.  Charitable organizations have a critical role to play in areas where governments are unable to sufficiently address the needs of the people.  They have the capability to make a difference in the life of a person, a community, a country, and even the world.

The Meaning of Charity

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In layman’s view, charity is giving donations or alms to the needy.  This is essentially right but charity goes beyond the common perception.  The act of charity itself has an accompanying aspect to material giving which is genuine concern for others. 

A person can give all the material things he can afford in this world to the poor and yet not be considered truly charitable.  This is especially so when the act of giving is based on the performance of certain conditions that will redound to the personal benefit of the giver.  If for example, the giver wishes to be publicly recognized for his charitable work just to score some points in a desire to get hold of a certain position, the publicity stunt tends to muddle the real purpose of giving.  But if the publicity is intended for the furtherance of a valid cause such as creating awareness to encourage more participation, publicity becomes an important tool in spreading charity as a life principle. 

Although every act of giving may be loosely classified as an act of charity in the same manner as the provision of unlimited kindness to others is, charity as an organized act of many should be considered for its merits.  For one, organized charity work allows for helping more people at any given instance.  Instead of helping on a person-to-person basis, which is basically good, the benefits of charitable work can be extended to more people when combined efforts are channeled to a specific cause. 

I am not about to say that we should totally stop in our personal acts of charity.  What I am actually leading to is to bring forth the wisdom in organized charity work for consideration of those who have the time, the willingness, and the means to participate in it.  There are a lot of charitable organizations already existing that could benefit from our help.  Just helping one can make a difference for many people.

Teaching Children about Making Charitable Donations

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We all want to teach our children the value of giving, from asking them to share their toys with other kids to helping a lost animal find its way home. But have you thought of teaching your children about contributing to charities?

They’re never too young to start learning the value of donating to a cause.

Here are some ways in which you can teach children about making charitable donations.

Every little bit. Children should never feel that their contributions aren’t worthwhile just because they’re not huge. Explain that it doesn’t matter how small an amount you have to donate, as long as you donate.

You may illustrate this concept by saying that if you give only five dollars, it may not seem like much . . . but when there are ten thousand other people in the world who each give five dollars, that adds up to a lot. [Read more…]

The Origins of Charity

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What does the word CHARITY mean, exactly? The word has many connotations these days – from simply giving alms to the poor, to a more divine, selfless way of giving.

So just in case you were wondering, here are the word’s origins. The rest is up to you.

“….The word “charity” entered the English language through the French word “charite” which was derived from the Latin “caritas“.

In the twelfth century it indicated a state of benevolance towards the poor.

In the fifteenth century charity was used to indicate ‘the state of love or simple affection which one was in or out of regarding one’s fellows; an occasion or body of people seeking to embody that state; the love of god, in both directions.

The fraternity was the embodiment of this ideal. In 1700, it meant ‘an optimistic judgement about the good intentions of others; an act of benevolence towards the poor or needy; an institution erected as a result of such an act.”

In Christian theology:

“…Love, in this sense of an unlimited loving-kindness towards all others, is held to be the ultimate perfection of the human spirit, because it is said to both glorify and reflect the nature of God. In its most extreme form such love can be self-sacrificial. Confusion can arise from the multiple meanings of the English word “love.”

The love that is caritas is distinguished by its origin, being Divinely infused into the soul, and by its residing in the will rather than emotions, regardless of what emotions it stirs up. This love is necessary for salvation, and with it no one can be lost.”