The period from Thanksgiving to New Years that inspires people to go out and perform kind acts for their community. According to a 2012 Guidestar survey, 50.5% of organizations claimed majority of their donations came during the fourth quarter of the year. As the year closes, people are far more generous than at any time of the year. People open their hearts more at this period of the year for many reasons: part of it is the spirit of giving, part of it is tax deductions for the end of the year. For whatever reason, charities and nonprofits benefit greatly from this season of giving. That is why #GivingTuesday, the day after the biggest shopping weekend of the year, is so perfectly placed. With the holidays and end of the year in front of us, there are plenty of ways you can help the charities in your community.
50.5% of organizations claimed majority of their donations came during the fourth quarter of the year.
The simplest way to help is to donate money. There are many fundraising sites out there that help you give with just a click of the mouse! We are partial to Razoo, who handles our charitable donations. Indiegogo, a very popular crowdfunding site for business, offers Generosity. It is their powerful tools put to use for charity. Charity Navigator is one of the largest fundraising sites for nonprofits. You can research the company you are going to donate to and then donate without leaving the website. All of these sites have a searchable index of charities they are working with, so you can aid your favorite cause. Of course, you can just surf over to your favorite local charity’s website and donate directly to them.
You can passively give just through shopping at individual stores. Kroger has their Community Rewards Program, which Kids Read Now (#16777) is a part of, and Amazon offers their Amazon Smile Program (which works with Prime!). If you are looking for a particular charity to donate to, many of them have become savvy and started their shops. (RED) has been around for a decade, partnering with a variety of major companies to create specialty products. Purchasing those products makes a donation to HIV/AIDS research. When 826 National found a retail space for their nonprofit to help children write, it was zoned retail. To use the space (and raise some cash), they created a pirate supply store. The model stuck and a superhero supply store was born a few years later.
There is no need to have wealth to make a donation. One thing that every charity and nonprofit can use is the gift of your time. At Kids Read Now, Bonnie in the warehouse can always use some help organizing the hundreds of books we receive during the winter and ship out during the summer. Helping all of these eager readers keeps up on our toes! You can contact us at info@kidsreadnow.org, and we can work around your schedule. Other groups are seeing record numbers of food, clothes and toys coming through their door. They can also use help sorting and organize these generous gifts. VolunteerMatch is a website that helps match volunteers with the local nonprofit of their choice. It will provide a list of events where you can volunteer or some skills that they may need. Philanthropic groups need bookkeepers and marketers too!
No one has ever become poor by giving. ― Anne Frank
Do you have items laying around? Are you purging as you clean to get ready for guests, or to make room in the closed for more gifts? Many charities will accept those items, clean them up, and sell them as a means of revenue. You can donate everything from clothes to cars. Salvation Army and Goodwill are always willing to accept gently worn clothes, furniture, and other home goods. Goodwill even will take that car donation! Gifts to local charities and shelters are welcome as well, as many of them see more need during this time of year. Of course, if you are getting rid of any children’s books, those would be gratefully accepted. While Kids Read Now does not accept books as donations, we certainly encourage spreading the gift of reading!
No matter what you give to philanthropic pursuits, it is always greatly appreciated by those receiving it. The people receiving the donation are not the only ones that get a benefit; studies show many benefits from the individual who is donating! #GivingTuesday is an opportunity not just to give for the day, but to make a plan to volunteer for a group, set up monthly donations, or give gifts to the organizations making your community a better place. How will you help your community today?