Posted on 01 December 2020 by Charity Car

Approaching the end of one of the oddest years in decades, many avid charity supporters have found themselves having to consider alternative ways to help charities. A lot of us simply don't have the spare cash for money donations at the moment, yet we're aware so many good causes have never needed the public's support more.

We know you're a caring bunch and even if you don't have the cash to donate you'd love to help. And it has to be said - one of the most significant silver linings of the COVID crisis has been individuals and businesses stepping up to help in anyway they can; from feeding frontline staff to supporting elderly neighbours. So what can you do for charities now?

Volunteering

Organisations and individuals are always in need of volunteers, if you want to support a specific charity then it's worth contacting them direct - they'll be delighted to hear from you. Some national organisations will put you in touch with people in your region, such as Age UK. Otherwise you can start your search on the government website, or with the NHS.

Mindful shopping

We're not suggesting a new trend of shopping yoga (!) simply being more mindful of how and where we all make purchases. Perhaps you could support more small businesses to help manage and thrive on their own? You could replace some of your Christmas shopping with donation gift cards or items sold by charities? As well as selling donated items, many charity shops have their own lines of brand new goods that may have been made by communities that need additional help; from beautiful crafts made in developing countries at Oxfam stores to restored furniture from Emmaus UK.

Try to buy Fairtrade when it's an option and look out for goods that pay a proportion of proceeds to good causes. There's a number of online shops who will make a charitable donation on-top of your orders, so rather than skipping past the option to read into it, give it a few minutes of your time and you could help a good cause without it costing you a penny!

Write your will

Many people put off sorting out their will. Apart from the fact it's important for yourself, you can ensure your estate will help your favourite cause at the end of your days. It’s a hugely positive thing - to turn an end into a beginning - and many charities offer free will writing services when you are making a donation.

Recycling transport

We're proud and delighted to report that even throughout the COVID pandemic we've been able to maintain our car donation service and it's still a fantastic way to support a charity. If your old car has seen better days we can turn it into a donation to charity - we'll look after the collection, help you with the paperwork and ensure the donation is made direct to your chosen cause. If the car is recycled it's done so responsibly, and if it has enough life in it to make more money at auction than as scrap, we'll look after that whole process too!

While old cars wouldn't be efficient or environmentally friendly to ship across the world, the bike you might just have traded up from could be sent to rural Africa - giving people the extra time to earn, learn and enjoy life by cutting huge travel times. Check out Re-Cycle to see if your old bike/s could help.

Don't dismiss the small change!

We know we said this article was about alternative ways to help, but small monetary donations are often over-looked because people think they're too little to be useful. The key is frequency - if you sign up to make just a couple of pounds donation but on a regular basis, such as a direct debit, it is that long-term promise that enables charities to plan for the future. So don't disregard small, consistent donations - anything you can afford will be more helpful than you can imagine.

Collect rubbish!

OK, this one sounds odd, but you know how much we love recycling! There are numerous small items that organisations collect for good causes that would otherwise just end up in your bin…

A couple of examples are ring pulls and used stamps! The Rotary Club collects ring pulls from drinks cans to support the Purple Community Fund and many charities accept donations of used stamps, simply check your chosen causes' website to see if they could be of use!

Give old essentials new life

If you've relied on something for your quality of life, it's more than likely this item could have the same impact for someone else in need. Charity Car became aware of the wonderful Legs4Africa a few years ago; this amazing charity reconditions and transports prosthetic limbs to less fortunate parts of the world so amputees may lead more productive and fulfilling lives.

It's a much smaller item, but your old glasses could have a similarly huge impact for a person that needs them. There are specific organisations that handle these donations or you could just speak to your opticians, many of which are involved in these fantastic schemes; giving people their sight with your old specs!

Just get involved!

Charities are still trying to run important awareness campaigns and events, although many of these are now exclusively online. You can give valuable support simply by spreading their messages or taking part in fun activities! From growing facial hair for Bowel Cancer UK's Decembeard to enjoying Marie Curie's online Christmas carol concert.

We hope something in our list allows you to help a good cause and do your bit in this season of goodwill! Do let us know if you've found other alternative ways to help and let's keep the good deeds and support wheels turning together!