Many of us simply don’t have the spare cash for money donations, but good causes have never needed the public’s support more. Passionate charity supporters have found themselves having to consider alternative ways to help charities and as we know you’re a caring bunch, we thought we’d give you some ideas for other ways you can support your favourite causes…
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.
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!
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 preferred 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.
It might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about donating items to charity, but 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!
Other forms of transport can be useful to good causes too – your old bicycle 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.
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.
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!
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.
Another essential item that could have a similarly huge impact is your old glasses. 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 sight with your old specs!
Charities are always running important awareness campaigns and fundraising events. 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 (like our own team member Dan you can see here!) to supporting local causes’ bake sales. We’re sure you can find an alternative way to help a charity important to you and feel great about supporting a good cause.
