TeamYou want to help make the world a better place, but you don’t know where to start. Use these 5 ways to pick the right charity to support and take it from there. Before you do, ask yourself a few questions to get closer to making a decision. Think about what you want to support and how you want to help. Maybe you want to be an anonymous donor and combat hunger, or you want to organize events and raise money for the homeless. Whatever you choose, make sure to use the internet because it gives you endless possibilities for small donations.
For instance, you could raise money every time you open a tab by using Tab for a Cause or help make a food donation every time you correctly answer a quiz question on FreeRice.com. Keep in mind that there are many things you could donate besides your money. You can donate old clothes or household items when you don’t have the budget for money donations. Most importantly, you need to look for something that you find meaningful, something that you’re passionate about. Whatever it is that you deeply care about, there’s probably a charity related to it that you can support. So, let’s start by finding out what truly speaks to you.
1. Pick the cause you’re emotional about
The causes you’ll give to should align with your own interests, passions, and values. This is important because it keeps you motivated to give again, not just once. In addition, you will have personal reasons to help the charity you choose, so you’ll get emotionally engaged with the cause. Choose something that you think is meaningful, something that speaks to you and moves you. For instance, maybe you enjoy spending time in nature, so you could help fight to preserve it.
Perhaps you deeply care about animal rights because you love the animal world, so this is the charity you will choose. If you have lost someone you cared about to an injury or an illness, it might make you feel good to give to a charity that helps raise awareness or fund research.
2. Don’t make a rash decision
One of the most important ways to pick a charity to support is to do your research and find a charity that you can trust. You shouldn’t make a rash decision and take out your wallet as soon as the opportunity occurs. If someone asks you to donate to their organization, check whether the charities you already give support the same cause. It’s best to take the time to find a charity that you can trust and regularly give to.
3. Decide whether you want to make a difference globally or locally
People tend to prefer supporting a local charity. This might be because their dollars make a much bigger impact in such small organizations.
You can start by making a difference locally, but don’t forget about the possible global effects that you can make. Even though your contribution probably can’t make such a big impact when you donate it to a global charity, you’ll still be doing your part in saving the world. One of the ways to pick the charity to support is to consider both local and global charities and maybe even choose one of each.
4. Check which charities people that you know to support
If your employer, neighbor, friend, college, or family member gives to charity, ask them about it. Maybe they make regular donations so they could inform you about the charity that they support. Giving to that charity is something that you can do together, and they can guide you through the process.
This is one of the best ways to pick the charity to support because you can rest assured that you can trust the charity that someone you know already supports.
5. Know that you don’t have to help with your money
When you’re searching for ways to pick the charity to support don’t forget that you don’t have to help by donating money. There are many charities that search for volunteers, and becoming a volunteer can be really rewarding. If you would like to make a donation but can’t afford to donate money, you can donate your time!
Maybe you could volunteer for local charities or offer some specific professional skills. For instance, if you are experienced in graphic design or accounting, volunteers in these fields of work are highly in demand. Many organizations could benefit from your assistance so learn more about the reasons why you should donate to charity!
