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5 ways that you can give money to charity

How to donate

While you may want to give your money to charity, it’s difficult to know how to get started. Here are 5 different ways that you can give to charity.

 


 

Money Bite Sized – Minute Read:

  • Giving money to charity can be a powerful way to contribute to society.
  • You work hard for your money and choosing how and why you might give to an organisation needs to be meaningful to you.
  • Not everyone can afford to give their money or time to charity.
  • If donating money, you could donate at tax time or give small amounts regularly.
  • You can also volunteer your time and skills or give as a social activity, including fun runs.
  • You work hard for your money and choosing how you’ll give money to an organisation is no one’s choice but yours.

 


 

You may have wanted to give to charity but just not got round to it. I want to get fitter and yet when it comes to waking up for my early morning alarm, I hit the snooze button and dream on through for another half hour.

 

No one should judge you for giving or not giving to charity. 

 

Giving money to charity can be a powerful way to contribute to society. But not everyone has the money to give. Making a decision with your money and time has to be meaningful to you. We’ve previously talked about why you should donate (and why people don’t donate) but there are several ways that you might choose to give money.

 


 

Here’s 5 ways you can give money to charity:

 

1. Donate before tax time

One of the major reasons you might choose to donate is for tax reasons. Most countries, including Australia, have tax years that run from 1 July to 30 June which means that June can be a great time to donate to a charity. Many countries often a donation, which can be in your favour because you don’t pay tax on that amount. You can also count it against your income.

If you’re wondering whether this is right for you, look at your income and spending for the year and see if you can afford to make a donation. Check the tax donation rules in your country, including whether the organisation you’re donating to has a registered charitable status for tax purposes. You also can’t claim gifts or donations that provide you with a personal benefit so it’s worth checking what the criteria is before making a donation.

 

2. Give small amounts regularly 

If you’re committed to a particular cause and organisation, it can be effective to give small amounts regularly throughout the year. You can make these donations part of your budget, with an amount allocated each month to be donated.

If you’re wondering who you might give these donations to, GiveWell is a great place to start. This non-profit organisation identifies legitimate evidence-backed, thoroughly vetted, underfunded organisations each year that you might want to consider donating to. 

 

3. Volunteer your time

Giving up your time to volunteer for organisations is a particularly good way to give back if you’re on a budget with not much wiggle room. Students can find volunteering for charities a great opportunity to build up experience on their CV. However, volunteering your time is a major financial decision because it is time that you could otherwise spend working for money. 

In deciding to give your time to charity, you are providing an organisation with hours of your time at no cost. Some charities take advantage of this and pay their executive high wages while profiting off the efforts of unpaid volunteers or low-paid staff members. Remember that charities should pay staff for their time, particularly if they are generating in revenue. If you’re not enjoying volunteering with an organisation and don’t feel your efforts are appreciated, vote with your feet and use your time elsewhere. 

 

4. Share your skills

Just as you might give up your time to volunteer for organisations, your skills are also a valuable commodity. You have these skills because you’ve put in the effort and time to refine them. Painters are only able to produce masterpieces because of time spent honing their talent.

Your skills are valued by organisations including charities. These include legal, financial, influencing, communication and fund-raising skills. You use these skills by joining a community board to help improve an organisation’s governance arrangements. Your skills are incredibly valuable and you should apply them to an organisation whose work you truly believe in.

 

5. Give as a social activity

We can choose to give as a social activity through fundraising. More of us are choosing to undertake fundraising activities with our friends. Whether it’s the ice bucket challenge, asking for donations rather than gifts on our birthday or joining community run, giving as part of a group can be a powerful way to donate money.

Giving as part of a group can make charity fun. You’re likely to enjoy the experience and are more motivated to raise funds as a team activity. Four people raising funds will collect more money for a charity than one person could. It also encourages more people in your community to donate, increasing the total amount of money going to charity organisations.

 


 

Giving to charity is a deeply personal act.

 

You work hard for your money and choosing how you’ll give money to an organisation is no one’s choice but yours. Giving money to charity has benefits for your health, your taxes and the community you live in. Take advantage of some of those benefits today by looking at how you can give your money, time or skills to a cause you care about.

 

Read more: 10 reasons you should donate money

Written by Kate Crowhurst

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