Charitable contributions come in different forms, and you don’t have to break the bank to help organizations. Consider these thirteen ways to donate to charities while sticking to a budget. You’ll make a huge impact on someone’s life.
Volunteer Your Time
Many nonprofits depend on volunteers for daily tasks. For instance, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and animal rescues rely on physical labor. Your time is worth more than money, and charities appreciate the help. So volunteer your time to organizations and make someone’s day better—it doesn’t cost a dime to donate your time!
Use Your Skills To Help Others
Do you know how to build websites? Create a page for a charitable organization. Are you a lawyer, doctor, or therapist? Consider offering your services to those in need.
Many charities have specialized needs but can’t afford appropriate staffing. Extend your expertise to organizations as a way to give back. You can also organize a group of volunteers with specific skills to help. For example, schedule a day for local chefs to prepare meals for homeless shelters.
Donate Your Stuff
Donate to charities while sticking to a budget by donating your stuff. Many charities and nonprofit organizations accept donated goods and gently used items.
Go through your home and pick out things you can donate. Perhaps you have extra hats and gloves, or maybe you have unused household items. Gather goods you no longer need and take them to your local charity. Instead of letting items collect dust in the basement or attic, you’ll give them a new home!
An alternative solution is to sell unwanted items to thrift stores. Goodwill and Salvation Army are two such stores that also give some of their proceeds to charities.
Sell Unwanted Items
Some charities prefer monetary donations, but you can still help while on a budget. The solution is to sell your unwanted items and donate the resulting money to organizations. Garage sales are an easy way to display old items and attract buyers.
Donate Credit Card Rewards
In many cases, rewards credit cards will let you donate your cash back, points, or miles directly to charity. Even if that isn’t an option, you can redeem your rewards for cash back and donate those funds. But most likely, you can donate rewards.
For example, redeem your American Express membership awards to donate to their partner charities. So instead of earning rewards like travel points, your favorite charity gets money! Please note that some cards allow you to choose the charity, and some have limited partners.
Cut Out a Subscription Service
Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, and Amazon Prime are popular subscription services that charge monthly fees. Many people integrate the services into monthly expenses. If you’re interested in giving back to charities, consider cutting out a subscription.
For example, a basic Hulu subscription is $7.99 a month. With taxes and fees, this is around $96 a year. Instead of paying for Hulu, you could donate the money to a charity. Of course, you don’t have to let go of all your subscriptions. Just cut out your least-used service and donate to a great cause.
Donate Blood
Donating blood to organizations like the Red Cross is free, and it doesn’t take a lot of time. Plus, your donation could help save someone’s life! Some general requirements for blood donations include being at least 17 years old in most states and being in good overall health. If you feel sick, organizers strongly advise you to recover before donating blood.
Organize a Drive
If you have time and enthusiasm, organize a drive! Partner with a charity and ask them about their needs. Then, gather donations from community members. Food and clothing drives are popular options; however, some organizations have special requests.
You could organize a hygiene product drive and collect soap, toothpaste, shampoo, menstrual products, and other essential items. Alternatively, you could host a back-to-school drive and collect backpacks and school supplies. You can also purchase wholesale lunch bags and fill them with reusable water bottles and containers. Then, donate contributions to the Big Brother/Sister programs.
Shop Through Charitable Platforms
Nowadays, many corporations focus on social responsibility through charitable donations. Many businesses donate part of their proceeds to charities. For example, AmazonSmile will donate a percentage of your eligible purchases to a charity of your choice.
Check with the retailers you shop at frequently to see if they offer opportunities to donate to a charity as part of your purchase. Shopping through charitable platforms is one convenient way to impact nonprofits and various organizations. Your consumer habits can help someone in need!
Round Up at the Register
Grocery stores often give an option to make a charitable contribution. You can round up your purchase and donate the extra funds to the store’s partnering charity. It’s a quick and simple way to donate money without breaking your budget. Additionally, some stores have donation boxes that you can place loose change inside.
Ask for Gift Donations
Birthdays are always special. Celebrate the day by asking friends and family to make birthday donations on your behalf instead of buying gifts. Give people a list of your preferred charities and encourage them to make donations. You can also start a fundraiser for specific organizations. Set up an online crowdfund and send people the donation page link. Loved ones can send funds at any time! Also, gift donations aren’t exclusive to birthdays—use this idea on any holiday.
Team Up With Your Employer
Check with your employer to verify if they’ll match some or all of your charitable donations. This way, you contribute less of your own money while increasing the amount given to nonprofits. An incredible example is Gap. After working at the company for a year, Gap will match employee donations to eligible community organizations.
Or, instead of monetary donations, see if your employer provides paid time off for volunteer work. Many companies let workers donate their time without sacrificing their paychecks. Read your employee handbook to evaluate volunteer and charity options.
Make Budget-Friendly Donations
You don’t have to make a large donation to contribute. Assess your budget to determine if there’s a monthly or quarterly donation you can afford. Even if it’s a small amount, those little donations go a long way in helping nonprofits and organizations fund services.
There’s no right or wrong way to help charities. If you can’t make substantial monetary contributions, donate time or resources. Organizations appreciate all efforts! Determine your preferred ways to support nonprofits and charities, and remember to involve family and friends in your efforts.
