5 Ways To Give To Charity Wisely So You Don’t Waste Any Money
Giving to charity is one of the nicest things you can do. Some people are desperate and they rely on the kindness of others to survive, but you can’t let emotions get in the way. You need to be sensible when you’re giving money away because a lot of things could go wrong. I’m sure you’ve heard all about unscrupulous charities trying to cheat people out of their hard-earned money. Let’s look at ways you can donate wisely so you don’t end up wasting money you could have saved instead.
Follow your passion
When you first decide you want to give money to charity it’s hard because there are so many options to choose from. Is there any particular charity you’re passionate about? If a family member has suffered from a particular disease you might want to help others who are going through the same thing. If a certain cause tugs on your heartstrings you might feel obliged to help. Instead of messing around trying to decide what to do you should go with one that feels right.
Do a background check
Before you start handing over any money it’s important you do a background check. This might not be necessary if you go with one of the big players, but when you’re giving money to a relatively unknown charity you don’t want your money to end up in a scammer’s pocket. Unfortunately there are tons of scam artists looking to trick you. You might also find the charity you have chosen only gives a small percentage to the actual cause and they keep the rest for themselves.
Give money directly
Even if you think you’re giving you money to charity you might find it ends up going through a few channels before it even reaches them. You can stop this from happening by going directly to the charity instead of through a third-party fundraiser. Don’t give your money to anyone who calls you over the phone. Even if they’re raising money on behalf of the charity it’s horrible to think less than half the money will reach them.
Remember the alternatives
You won’t be able to keep giving money forever unless you’re rich, so don’t forget you can donate something other than money. What about giving up some of your time to volunteer somewhere? I’m sure someone could use an extra pair of hands. You could also switch credit cards because there are special ones you can use where a charity will receive money every time you pay for something. Don’t forget you can raise money by asking people to sponsor you for a particular event.
Out with the old
Do you have any old furniture or clothes you don’t want anymore? Instead of giving money away you could buy new furniture and clothes, and then you could give your old stuff to charity. When you give physical items instead of money you know it’s going to end up in the right hands because someone can’t slip a chair into their back pocket. You would have thrown your old stuff out anyway, but by giving it away it means other people will be able to enjoy it.
Charities aren’t evil
All charities aren’t evil, but some of them are. A few probably don’t even think they’re doing anything wrong. As long as the executives get to drive around in expensive cars they’re happy. Saving money is important and everyone should be watching what they spend, so I think it’s important we all know how to donate wisely. You get to feel great and you also know your money is going to good use.
Author Bio:
The author is this article is Jenny Wadlow. She is a professional freelance blogger. She writes articles for Fundraising for a Cause, an organization known for distributing cancer awareness ribbons. She uses her free time to indulge in reading and sports activities.
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Category: Charity
