5 ways to get involved in charities
Giving back is something that everyone should do, but it’s also something that is good for your career and your business. From something as small as a cash donation, to something as large as creating your own charity, getting involved is good for your reputation, and even better for the charity you are supporting.
Don’t know where to start or how to get involved? Here are 5 ways to jumpstart your participation with charity work:
Make a Donation
If you aren’t comfortable volunteering or don’t have the time to get personally involved in a charity, making a donation is a great way to still feel like you are doing something right. Whether it is simply making a monthly cash donation to your favorite charity, or “adopting” a child through contributions online, your donation will make a difference. Even though you aren’t physically advocating for a cause, making a donation still shows that you support a greater cause. It benefits you by making you feel warm and fuzzy inside, and it benefits the charity by helping them meet their needs.
Be an Advocate Online
In today’s technology-driven society, advocating for a charity online through social media and other websites can be more powerful than anything. Posting about your favorite charity or asking your friends and followers to “Like,” or “Follow,” a charity page can raise awareness and create a chain of viral interest among friends and peers. Produce a Youtube video, tweet a link to a donation page, or post a Facebook status sharing a volunteer opportunity with your friends. Sharing your interest in a charity on the web or through your social media accounts is a great way to get the word out (for free!) and generate creative ways to promote a charity or cause.
Volunteer
If you haven’t worked with charities before, volunteering is a great way to get started. Dedicate one Saturday each month to volunteering at various charities or nonprofit organizations that you find interesting. Volunteer to walk dogs at the animal shelter, play games with members of the local nursing home, collect canned goods for a soup kitchen, or find a way you can locally make a difference for a larger nationwide charity organization. After you volunteer at a few different charities, you can decide which one you are most passionate about, and begin to dedicate your involvement solely to one organization.
Working first hand with a charity will make you a more passionate advocate for that cause, and you will be able to eyewitness the huge impacts that a charity truly has on people or a cause. Volunteering also gives you the opportunity to meet new people, network, and increase your self-confidence. Speaking with people from all different types of backgrounds and coming together with those people for a greater cause will increase your social and relationship skills, and teach you valuable skills for the workplace. Not to mention how fun and rewarding it can be!
Fundraise
Hold a fundraising activity that your friends, family, co-workers, peers- basically anyone- can get involved in, such as a raffle, a car wash or a cook-off. Bake sales are also a great way to get a lot of people involved because not only is there baking but there is advertising, promotion, sales, etc. that needs to get done to host a successful bake sale.
If you are already a non-profit organisation, and you are just looking for some more inspiration on different ideas on how to fundraise, then why not go back to basics, and organise a ticketed event, where all proceeds go to your charity? There is a huge range of fundraising software available online, which can really help you streamline the entire process. This doesn’t just go for non-profit organisations either, even if you are a local community looking to raise some money for a good cause, this kind of thing can really benefit you too.
Fundraising brings in a great amount of money for your charity, but can also be a fun excuse to hang out with your friends and family. These types of events also increase awareness, which can sometimes be more meaningful than profits! In the process of getting started with fundraising and making a lot of money for your charity, getting people involved can make them more apt to volunteer again, or even better, become an activist themself. In the end, these events benefit both parties, but most importantly, the greater cause that you are supporting!
Sponsor an event
On a larger scale than some of the smaller fundraising ideas stated earlier, once you become a major activist for a charity, put together and sponsor an event. A gala, 5K race, or golf tournament are some of the more popular sponsorship events, but feel free to get creative! From the cuisine, to posters and advertisements, to prizes, the sponsorship opportunities are endless.
On an individual level, sponsoring a large event shows people how much you care, and will show potential employers that you are willing to go the extra mile for projects you believe in and are passionate about. From a business standpoint, sponsoring an event can be great for your reputation, and is a great PR move to make your brand stand out as a company that makes a positive difference in the community.