The Art of Effective Charitable Giving

Giving to charity might seem like an easy thing to do; you just give some money and forget all about it, right? Wrong. There’s a lot more to it than that, or rather, there could be (and probably should be), and when you think about it, there’s a bit of an art to effective charitable giving. If you want your donation to go further, keep reading to find out what we mean.

Fundraising

There’s a huge difference between donating some spare cash to a good cause and actually fundraising for it, and it’s this difference where you’ll find the art of effective charitable giving. Anyone can reach a hand into their pocket or write a check to a charity, but doing something that’s out of your comfort zone and gets people to notice the good cause that you want to give to is really something else.

Take a charity skydive, for example. Skydiving isn’t for the faint-hearted, and it’s definitely going to be out of most people’s comfort zones, which means that it could be the ideal way to raise money for charity. After all, if you’re doing something unusual, your friends and family will take notice, and they’ll want to know more. Even better, they’ll sponsor you to do it and cheer you on. This can raise a lot more money than just donating would, so it’s definitely something to look into.

Tell Others

We’re often told that there’s something good and noble about making anonymous donations to charity and keeping the secret to ourselves, and although that can make sense, it’s not always a great idea.

It might be uncomfortable to tell others that you’ve been generous, but it’s also a good way to expand the reach of the good cause. If you let people know you’ve donated and you can explain why the cause is close to your heart and needs more donations, you’ll spread awareness and others might give some money as well.

You don’t have to go into too much detail about how much you gave, you don’t even have to mention a figure at all, but just let your loved ones know that you’re interested in the particular good cause and you’ve donated something. It might be that they don’t follow suit, but the chances are that they will, so it’s a great thing to do.

Include It In Your Will

Another good way to effectively give to charity is to leave a gift in your will to the cause (or causes) that you feel most passionate about. You can set aside a certain amount of money once you know how much your estate is worth and do some good after you’ve passed away. It’s a wonderful way to leave a lasting legacy, and it’s a lovely final act of kindness to do.

If you’d rather, you can ask people to donate to your charity instead of buying flowers for your funeral (or do that as well), ensuring that there’s a good amount of money to help others even when you’re not around anymore.

Author Bio:
Dan B. is a dedicated follower of the latest scientific research and self-care strategies. Dan is also passionate about alternative medicine, education, the great outdoors and animal welfare. Past experiences include writing for medical journals on the use of ketamine therapy for mental health and how positive thinking can impact mental health.