The world can be a broken place, and no matter where you go you’ll find groups of people who are struggling and suffering. You might learn of these groups and want to do your part to help them, only to realize that there isn’t much you can do with your budget. Life can be expensive – food, clothes, bills, potentially children – how can you make an impact on the life of those who are struggling when you’re struggling to support yourself? Here are a few ways you can support your favorite charities when you’re on your own budget.
Donate Items Instead of Money
A great alternative to giving money to organizations your fond of is by donating items you have no need for any longer. So often we’ll go through old clothes we don’t wear and decide to throw them out. Perhaps you got a new television and your old one is just sitting in a closet somewhere. Instead of wasting those items, donate it to a charity that can give it to someone who doesn’t have a lot of clothes, or a working TV. There are so many other items you can do this with as well, whether it be household appliances, clothing, or other things commonly found within a house. You can even donate nonperishable food items. These are often cheap, and food is often welcome at many charities.
Volunteer
If you don’t have many options in terms of donations, try donating your time and volunteering for a charity of your choice. Charities are always seeking help, and volunteering for a few hours a week is a great way to give back. Perhaps the organization you’re helping has a soup kitchen, or you have a particular skill you can use to help them out, like troubleshooting electronics free of charge. There’s always a way for you to volunteer your time and help the charity of your choice, meaning you’ll always have an option even if you can’t afford to support them financially.
Ask About Employer Matching
Perhaps you’re in a financial situation where you can donate money to a charity of your choice, but you can only donate a small amount every month due to your budget. A good way to remedy this is by asking your employer if they do employer matching. This essentially means they’d match your donation, which would automatically double what has been donated to the charity. If you can get your coworkers to also donate, even if it’s a little, that means even larger donations can be made. Many companies do this, and if you’re doesn’t it can be a good idea to reach out to human resources and start a conversation about how you can get your company to start doing so.